Forever
by waffleman1314-AJ ThaPlatypus
Summary: Fate was cruel. Just when everything seemed to have been going right, Perry's life took a huge down. Now, amidst his own grief, Perry is faced with facing his rebel son one-on-one, and he realizes he can't avoid fighting Lay forever. Sequel to Timeshift.
1. The Last Dance

**Alright, so Timeshift ended on a happy note. Here's your warning: THIS PART OF THE STORY MIGHT MAKE YOU WANT TO MURDER ME. There, I said it. I confess. If you haven't noticed, I tend to have a happy ending-sad ending mix. This one starts out on a sad note. So, if you're willing, grab your box of tissues if you need it. And please refrain from locating me to kill me. Thanks! -AJ ThaPlatypus**

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Perry

It simply wasn't fair. He looked down into the water of the lake at his own reflection and sighed. On any other occasion, he would have enjoyed being in the forest of an ancient wood, surrounded by the beauty of an alien world that had never industrialized. Not tonight.

Nine years of marriage to the love of his life had been declared illegal under his wife's mother, the queen of a nation called Amoyx on this distant planet called Nepoçie. Queen Arven, for that was her name, had banished his wife Xhirxhti, whose real name was Lexolav, from Amoyx on the pretext that she'd married a Korobu-chisai. Yes, he was that mortal creature. Yes, it was highly illegal—the law called their actions Dnalizaws, and they were supposed to have been executed by a life source draining the Kyea, the denizens of Amoyx, called Dnalez. But they had been spared by Saki, the ex-duchess of Arven—better known as Xhirxhti's aunt.

Now, that pardon was being revoked. When Perry had been murdered, Arven lifted the banishment for her daughter to come and teach her younger sister political arts. She was later deposed and banished again for showing "uncleanliness" in the royal court. Xhirxhti had, in other words, transformed into her platypus form, the form she remained in around Perry, just to spite her mother. She left under a threat that Arven would find plausible cause to execute her.

And she'd done just that.

Angered, Perry picked up a stone and threw it into the lake to disrupt its peaceful surface. He'd entered a contest to win his life back in order to protect his family, and now Arven dared to kill his wife. Why? Because he was alive again. Thus her daughter had broken the unsaid terms of her banishment. It wasn't _fair_. What had he ever done to the Kyea queen? He'd only ever shown love to her daughter.

He pressed his right hand over his heart and ran his fingers over the scar there. It was where Semi, the other soul that shared his body, had run a dagger through his heart. When his heart ached, he felt as if the wound would open again. He dropped to his knees and stared down into the disrupted waters. In the reflection, Xhirxhti's face appeared next to his.

"It's out of your control," she said softly, resting a hand on his shoulders. Perry jerked up and kicked the water in front of him.

"Why must she be so full of hatred!" he cried. Xhirxhti grasped him by the shoulders and turned him around to face her. "It's almost as if she goes out of her way just to attack us."

"Perry, you cannot change what is meant to happen!" she told him softly, but sternly. He looked down at the ground. She put her fingers under his bill and lifted his face so that their eyes met. He averted her gaze. "Perry Flynn, look at me!"

His eyes painfully met hers. He couldn't understand how she was so calm. She knew just as well as he that when dawn broke, she would be led away by Tiawuk, the executioner. Then she would be chained down and would endure Dnalez. The Kyea would burn her soulless corpse. Yet there was no fear to be seen in her eyes. Nor was there any malice.

"I…cannot…will not…live without you," Perry said, choking on his words. He lifted one hand and stroked her cheek. A frown came to his wife's visage. "The sentence is poison to my ears…that I must live on while you are robbed of me."

"I…will always be with you," Xhirxhti managed. She wrapped her fingers around the silver lightning bolt shaped pendant that hung on a chain around her neck and pulled the piece of jewelry off. Taking Perry's hand, she spread out his palm and placed it in his hands. "I want you to keep this. Don't let them take it from you."

"This…this is a Kyea heirloom," Perry swallowed. He stared down at the gift. "I can't use its magic."

"There is no need," Xhirxhti shook her head. She laughed a little at his naivety. "Perry, just keep it as a remembrance of me. It is a piece of me more than it is a piece of my world."

"But it is not you," Perry closed his eyes and allowed the tears to run down his face. Thunder rolled overhead. Raindrops began to fall slowly from the darkened sky. Perry took the pendant and stowed it in his fedora. Then he took his wife by the hands and smiled a little. "Do you remember that song…the song I sang when you'd shut me out because you were so mad at me?"

Xhirxhti laughed at the memory, "Yes, yes I do."

"I still remember it," he said, keeping his eyes shut tightly.

"You can sing it again," Xhirxhti whispered to him, pulling him a little closer. "Sing it differently, though. Just one last time. For me."

"_I told you once I couldn't see myself without you; though today I feel as if it's you I'm going to lose,_" he sang softly. He took a breath."_We've been together through the thickness and the thin, so won't she look past all my faults and let me live with you again?"_

Xhirxhti smiled. He opened his eyes again and placed his hands at her hips. Tears started to flow from her eyes as well.

"_You're always on my mind, and I can't really say why,_" he continued,"_It's like you've taken all my heart and made it just feel alright. I know I've been stubborn and maybe a mindless fool, but won't she look past my faults and let me live again with you?_"

He started to slow dance with her, even with no music. It would be, after all, the last time he'd get to dance with her. Still, he pressured himself to continue the song for her sake.

"_'__Cause here I am again, singing into the rain; looking at life without you- baby, it'll never be the same. 'Cause you're my only true love, you're my only true love, and a life without you's nothing but pain, oh, life without you's nothing but pain. Yeah, singing into the rain._"

Spinning her around, he took a deep breath and started on a second verse.

"_You're everything I know, and I can't say it's not so. It's like you've taken my heart captive and then let it go,_" he smiled to her."_I know I've screwed up some, and maybe even looked a little dumb, but won't she look past my faults and not make me run?_"

At this, he ran and they both danced into the lake, swimming around at the surface to continue their song. Xhirxhti's voice joined with his for a last chorus. They came together, holding hands and staring into the other's eyes.

"_'__Cause here I am again, singing into the rain; looking at life without you- baby, it'll never be the same,_" they sang, each reaching up to touch the other's face."_'Cause you're my only true love, you're my only true love._"

Xhirxhti stopped singing and blinked out a few of her tears. Perry leaned in closer to her.

"_And a life without you's nothing but pain._"

She leaned in as well, singing one last verse alone.

"_Oh, life without you's nothing but pain._"

Perry touched the end of his bill to hers and they locked eyes. The rain continued to fall around them slowly. Thunder rolled softly in the clouds above. He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers.

"_Yeah, singing into the rain._"

They both leaned in for a kiss. Perry didn't want this to end. When she broke away, he pulled her back in for another. He didn't care that all around them, thousands of firefly-like creatures were igniting the storm like misplaced stars. He didn't care that the luminescent plants lit up their surroundings with mystical colors. He didn't care, even, that woodland animals could probably see them then. All he cared was that he didn't waste a breath of these last few hours together.

It was, perhaps, roughly six hours until dawn. They spent the time, from their song until the break, only enjoying one another's presence. Of course, it took every ounce of might they had to shove the unpleasant thoughts of what morning had in store out of their minds entirely. They spent their last few hours together ambling in the forest, focused on nothing but one another until they became drowsy.

With only two hours left until sunrise, Perry curled around Xhirxhti in the driest part of the forest he could find. The rain had stopped, and all that could be heard was the chirping of nocturnal beasts. He held her close to him, like a dragon holds to its treasure. They fell asleep intertwined with one another. Neither dreamt of anything but their other half. Their love was the only thing they had to hold on to.

When the sun peeked through the trees and lighted on their faces, their doom was swift to be upon them. The queen herself, as well as a few soldiers and Tiawuk, quickly located the unfortunate pair. As they stared down at the sleeping couple, Arven was filled with disgust, but Tiawuk seemed to have a brief moment of compassion.

"'Tis rather interesting," he mused in their native tongue, "that they consider one another so valuable that they cling to each other during the dark hours of the mind. It is as if they fear some ill fate should fall upon them in the night and separate them."

"Ill fate awakens them now," Arven replied coolly. She turned to her closest soldier and pointed one slender, accusatory finger in the direction of her daughter. "Take my daughter and bind her hands. Ensure that the two remain separated; this is, after all, an example to any who dare break my laws for a petty human feeling called _love_."

With that, the Kyea queen turned briskly on her heel and marched ahead of them. The soldier addressed stooped down and grasped Xhirxhti by the shoulder. She opened her mouth to yelp in surprise, but Tiawuk placed one hand over her mouth and gave her a severe look. Her eyes flitted sorrowfully towards her husband, but she nodded and swallowed the cry. Tiawuk kept his hold on her mouth while the soldier bound her arms, but he soon realized that it made no difference. He lowered his hand and stared down curiously at her.

Her expression was purely sorrow—nothing else. There was no ounce of hatred present in her eyes towards those who were leading her to her death. Tiawuk found himself baffled at this. Surely, if someone was ripping him away from the life he'd chosen, he would have a burning malice in his heart towards all that supported such an action. Yet she was calm and still seemed rather tolerant of the people she'd been raised among. Her eyes remained on the sleeping form of her husband, though.

"Take her away," the soldier nodded to the executioner. He dipped his head low and stood up once more. He took his foot and nudged the woman, silently telling her to lead on. She knew the way just as well as he. She took a few steps, but her eyes remained glued to her lover.

"The soldiers will rouse the accursed mortal," Tiawuk said sharply. She cowered a little and continued to walk, her head held high. The soldier watched until they were a good ways off. He turned and jabbed his foot into Perry's ribs. The platypus woke suddenly and curled up in pain. He opened his eyes to see that Xhirxhti was gone and pushed himself swiftly to his feet.

"Where is she?!" he cried, staring up at the soldier with anger in his eyes. The soldier cocked his head, not understanding the English words the agent was using. Perry bit his tongue and forced himself to speak in Kyeaclae, the man's native tongue. "Where…where is my wife?"

"Queen Arven ordered her to be taken from you," the soldier replied. He straightened at seeing the platypus tense up. "Tiawuk took her away a few moments ago. I will escort you; the queen wishes you to watch your fellow-sinner die."

"Oh, cruel fate," Perry murmured. The soldier ushered him on by prodding him in the back with the butt of his spear every now and then, not caring whether or not his rough blows were hurting the mortal being or not. It was a ten-minute walk to the place of execution, and when they arrived, Perry felt his heart give an involuntary leap.

The place was familiar to him. When they had been discovered the first time by Queen Arven, Perry had chosen to take Xhirxhti's place in the Dnalez execution. It was he who had been chained down. His survival was solely based on the fact that he'd been saved by a pardon before Tiawuk had fully killed him. Now, he was being forced to watch his other half endure the same pain that he had eight years ago. Only this time, his pleas to die in her place were silenced. It was she they wanted dead—not him.

Xhirxhti had already been chained down. She sat on her knees with her head facing the ground. Perry rushed forward, on the foolish whim that he could stop all of this, and was stopped by the staff of the soldier's spear.

"Do not make me chain you, also," he warned Perry. The platypus did not move anymore. He forced himself to look back to his wife. Her eyes were lifted and she was staring right at him. He pressed his right hand to his heart and choked on a sob. Oh, if it was all only a gut-turning dream! He watched as Tiawuk came over and began to chant the words that would kill the woman Perry loved.

She held head up high, though, and did her best not to show her pain. Perry was now seeing what she must have seen eight years ago. Her expression didn't hold fast as long as either would have hoped. First she gritted her teeth, and then she bit her tongue until it bled. Unable to hold back any longer, she cried out in pain.

Perry felt as if his heart couldn't bear it any longer. Every cry drove a dagger through his heart once more. His real feelings all became null. All he felt was the anguish of losing her. He didn't know it, but tears were streaming down his face as a torrential flood. As she died physically, he knew he was dying mentally. It was bad enough that it was happening and he was forced to watch it, but it was even worse that he knew in his heart that there was absolutely nothing he could do.

He tried to swallow the pain, but it worsened as he saw the life being drained from Xhirxhti's being. She gave out one last cry, that he couldn't make out, yet somehow knew was words, and stooped low to the ground. Her limbs shook from holding her own weight above the ground. Tiawuk gave a final verse of the killing curse and silence fell over everyone. Perry broke away from the soldier and ran as fast as he possibly could towards her. Several soldiers moved to stop him, but Arven lifted her hand. It seemed she would allow him just one kindness.

When he reached her, Xhirxhti had already given in and fallen. He lifted her up into his arms and pressed her head to his chest. Looking into her eyes, he could see in the fact that they stared off into the distance that his time was short. Her mind was filling with the blackness of death.

"You…you can't leave me…" Perry choked, unwilling to quit his sobbing. He put one hand to her face and bit his tongue. Her expression was so peaceful. How could she forgive all of these who'd so cruelly robbed her of her life? He was ready to rip them all apart, one by one.

"Still your soul…" Xhirxhti whispered weakly. A smile crossed her face, and Perry knew she was using every ounce of energy she had left to do so. "Do not…allow them…to win…"

"I-I love you," Perry managed. He felt his body shaking with fear. Her conscious was slipping away faster than he could bear. It took everything he had within him to hold his tongue and be gentle.

"I…love you…too…" Xhirxhti breathed. Her eyes slipped closed. The rest of her body fell limp. Perry cried out in horror and removed his fedora. He pulled out a few lock picks and hurriedly removed the shackles from his wife's body. She didn't want them to win? He wouldn't let them. He picked up her limp frame and shot a poison-filled glare at Arven.

"And what do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her brow furrowing with agitation.

"I refuse to allow you to hurt me anymore!" Perry shouted. He ran away into the woods and escaped the planet with the Retropelet, or teleporter device, that his human brother Phineas had lent him. He returned home, full of a grief he couldn't describe…

* * *

Perry jerked up from under the covers and frantically tore at the sheets. For a terrifying moment, he couldn't understand why he was the sole body in the bed. He stopped, looked about in the darkness, and listened. Down the hall, someone had closed a door. He must have screamed in his sleep. Stilling himself, he grasped the pillow that had belonged to Xhirxhti and pressed it too his face. He took in the scent. Still there, after so long.

Tears leaked from his eyes. He couldn't overcome the sorrow. He'd been living in utter torment ever since. Choking on a sob, he buried his face in the pillow and did his best to muffle the sound of his grief-filled cries. There was, after all, nothing he'd found that could soothe his broken heart. He'd tried so many things; nothing could ever fill the void that now invaded his heart. What made him think that?

Xhirxhti's death had been a year ago. And he still was in ruins.

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**Go ahead...scream at me. I know you want to. **

**Next Chapter...Lay**


	2. Halves

**Okay, I get it; you guys are royally ticked off at me. Understandable. But here's a bit for you: I was originally planning, when I first wrote the 'outline' for this series, to end the story at Resolution (the one before Timeshift) with Perry's death as a symbol of his freedom from the discrimination widely used in the Alterverse. A friend of mine at school was VERY upset about that ending, and thus prompted me to 'figure out a better way to end it.' I decided then that if Perry couldn't be killed off for that purpose, then someone else would have to suffer that tragedy; don't worry, though Xhirxhti fans...below this chapter I'll provide you with a teensy spoiler. -AJ**

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Lay

Legolas Flynn. The firstborn of Perry and Xhirxhti Flynn, and the most rebellious of them all. And to think, it was all over a petty sibling rivalry.

Quisling, as he called himself, pulled on the black mesh body suit that was his signature outfit and stared fiercely at himself in a mirror. All that could be seen of his body was his eyes, which were green. They gave away his Kyea heritage. He ran one hand along his jaw and scowled. His quintuplet sister Jamie, the bane of his existence, had shattered the bone last year. It didn't matter why. All that he cared was that she'd done it, and he'd had to endure a painful surgery to fix it. The problem was, they couldn't reconstruct a platypus' jaw in the Eclipsian Empire's capital city of Jake'nna Kokoro. So they'd decided to convert him into what was known to the High Vampri as a Xolviak.

He growled at this. A Xolviak, to make clear the situation, is practically a cyborg that runs on Hej, the glowing body fluid that supplied many in the Alterverse with supernatural powers. He never asked for this, but it was just one small thing he'd have to deal with for joining the Ostragatha Mae Allyixanae. This alliance was the alliance of the Alterverse's chief oppressor—Lady Eclipse.

Ah, Lady Eclipse—she was nearly eight feet in height without her black leather boots. Her jet black hair fell to her mid-back. Her skin was as white as ashes. And her eyes—oh, her eyes—were the vibrant violet that only Vampri possessed. Quisling would have given up on her sweet promises ages ago if he hadn't found her dizzyingly attractive. In his eyes, she was a goddess.

Turning on his heel, Quisling headed for his door and then took a left turn out of his room. His overseer had called for him, stating that she had important news for him and he must arrive in her quarters immediately. He walked briskly and with purpose. Eclipse was not a patient woman. Fortunately for him, his chambers were only a five minute walk from her quarters. He walked through the threshold that marked off her throne room and made a beeline for the High Vampri empress. Her back was turned, but he knew that she already sensed his presence.

"My lady," he greeted firmly, bowing deeply in respect. His bow could have been deeper, but his own pride kept him from doing so. After all, he was by blood a prince, even if his accursed grandmother, the queen of Amoyx, declared him to be of no kin to herself. "You called, saying it was urgent?"

"I believe you deserve to know this," she stated, her cool, icy voice tingling at his ears. "Grave news has reached me; grave news perhaps for you."

"If you are hinting at the resurrection of my Rakuenni father, I have already heard enough of it," Quisling said, his eyes narrowing to slits. He straightened to his full height once more and took a deep breath. Eclipse turned to face him, and he felt small for a moment.

"No, I have received news that your mother is dead," the Vampri said, her voice proving her lack of sympathy. Quisling's knees turned into gelatin and he dropped to the floor gasping.

"You…you must be mistaken!" he managed. His mother, dead? He didn't want to believe it. She was the sole blood relative he loved and cherished with all of his heart. News of her death was already ripping his heart to shreds.

"Unfortunately, I am not," Eclipse continued. She paced in front of him, like a lioness stalking her prey. He wondered how accurate his feelings were to how she viewed him. "Your mother was executed by her own people, in the way of the Kyea. She endured death by Dnalez. Her corpse is buried on Earth near the home of your mortal father."

"How do you know this?" Quisling whispered, as he did everything in his power to hold back the tears.

"Other traitors remain in the Flynn household," Eclipse murmured, stalking slowly towards her throne. "It has been confirmed that she has been dead for a year. There is no evidence that her spirit lives on in the Vault of Souls, but Perry Flynn seems to openly deny it."

"Perry Flynn," Quisling repeated through gritted teeth. His father's name sent fire through his blood. He stood once more and clenched his fists. In the moment, he cared not that one had been replaced with a mechanical prosthetic. His quarrel was not with the Mytax who had given him new power; it was with the family that made mockery of him. "The Spectre shall pay greatly for his release!"

"Ease yourself, for that is not the only news you will receive from me today," Eclipse warned him, though he could tell that his father's mention vexed her also. "I am assigning you a partner to assist in your assassin's duties."

"I need no partner," Quisling spat. He allowed his anger to release. "You promised me the blood of my sister, and to what avail? She lives on today, so sure of her own protection!"

"You do not have a choice in this matter," Eclipse told him flatly. She beckoned behind her throne and out stepped another platypus. Something seemed rather off about this kid. He was clearly six years younger than Quisling, had piercing burgundy eyes, and a thick mop of messy black hair atop his head. He wore a light jacket with a hood that was zipped up in the front; it was grey. At a first glance, Quisling had almost seen something _human_ about him, but he was wary of such an immediate judgment. "This shall be your new partner."

"I have never seen the likes of him before," Quisling blinked.

"None have, save for his Ankunin mother," Eclipse said, gazing upon the kid with a touch of malice. "He is Jase X, the son of Semi X and ex-Mytax member Exosphere."

"Semi…has a son?" Quisling felt a jolt in his chest. He knew the truth that Semi was, indeed, his own father of a different mind. This made the unusual boy staring back at him his kid brother. Jealousy burned his heart for his mother, but anger boiled in his thoughts that his own father hadn't been the villain. "This boy is my half-brother?"

"Yes," Eclipse hummed. She gently pushed Jase X over to Quisling and gave the Mytax cyborg a glare full of daggers. "He is permanently your partner and will share residence with you. He will assist you in your missions."

"Of course," Quisling said, bowing once more. Jase X gave a sloppy bow and followed his new partner out of the throne room and back into his chamber. Quisling indicated that the boy would sleep on a cot until a more suitable form of bedding could be provided with a simple point. Jase X said nothing and sat himself on the cot. He didn't stay silent for long, though.

"Wynkyah Exlipze says that you are mhn fyrx," Jase X stated. Quisling noted how his accent was Asian, yet his speech was mingled Kyeaclae with English. It was strained speech, as if his native tongue were something else. Based on his knowledge of Exosphere, Quisling guessed his maternal language was Japanese.

"Look, kid, my Kyeaclae is terrible," Quisling stated, frowning. "I speak English, and not much else."

"It would be good for a Mytax of Wynkyah Exlipze to speak Vamprik or Kyeaclae," Jase X returned lazily. He snidely added, "Anata wa kono uchū de tada hitotsu no gengo o hanasu koto o, jissai ni bakadesu."

"I told you that I only speak English," Quisling said, placing his hands on his hips. He had half a mind to slap the boy for muttering in Japanese. Jase X gave no indication that he would submit to the unsaid demand, but he didn't deny it either. Instead, he spoke in clear English to reply.

"You are my brother, then?"

"Half," Quisling told him, hoping that he'd always remember that. "But my father is not Semi, though I wish he were. Semi is of right mind; my father is not. A curse it is to have them share the same body."

"I do not understand," Jase X sniffed.

"Two souls share one body," Quisling repeated, slightly irritated. "Your father may _physically_ and _biologically_ mine also, but he is not the same person _mentally_. Your father is Semi, while mine is Perry Flynn. They are the same, but they are not the same. Understand, kid?"

"Somewhat," Jase X shrugged. "Please, call me Jase."

"I'll call you what suits me, Jase X," Quisling growled. The boy was silenced. He most likely was unaware of the clear racial boundary. While he was part Ankunin, part Korobu-chisai, Quisling's other half was immortal Kyea over a mortal human. This made him superior to his kid brother, whether the kid accepted it or not. Huffing, Quisling made a mental note to instill proper submission into his new partner.

He watched as the kid curled up on the cot and turned his back on him. Quisling hoped that the boy had skill in the area of murder. His field required a certain heartlessness that few could achieve; at least, that was what he believed. Assassins could have a heart, but they honestly shouldn't. He sat down on his bed and hummed, thinking on it a moment.

His right arm gave a high pitched squeak and the elbow joint locked up. Sighing, he twisted at it. He hated being able to _feel_ his mechanical components as if they were actual body parts. The twisting was the best solution for irritating locked joints. It popped loose again and he heard a few of the inner parts whirring and chirping, happy to be functioning properly once more. He heard Jase X lift his head.

"You are a Xolviak?" the boy asked, intrigue filling his voice.

"What of it?" Quisling growled. His superiority was being challenged, as the few existing Xolviak beings were demoted as 'unorthodox' under either alliance's flag. The boy shifted behind him, pausing.

"I just…have never encountered…" Jase X swallowed his words. "I was told that creating Xolviak was illegal."

"It is," Quisling said simply. It was true. Eclipse had no knowledge of his deformity. The other Mytax were the only ones who knew. Though she did give him off looks from time to time, he assumed that she had no way of knowing without touching him. That, he'd told himself, he would never allow. Jase X returned to his former position and remained silent. Quisling would break that punk. He really would.

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**If you don't want the spoiler, just don't read below the chapter announcement. **

**Next Chapter...Jamie**

***Xhirxhti WILL reappear, but I'm not gonna say when or how. I have noted how much she is liked and do not intend to simply remove her from the plot. I did warn you that this particular story would be sad. Just please don't kill me, guys.***


	3. Do Life Big

**I'm glad to know you aren't sending assassins out to get me. Thanks for the support, even though I'm a mean writer, haha. -AJ**

* * *

Jamie

She felt the pain run through her body before the force of the impact. Jamie rolled over and let loose a few choice words before flipping back up to her feet. As she turned to face her opponent, she let loose a stream of raw Hej. It had become a useful tactic in self-defense, but it definitely proved that she was a Lesser Vampri.

The second oldest child of Perry Flynn, Jamie was the unfortunate target of trouble. No matter what, there was always some danger following her. Whether it was her quintuplet brother Lay or just some zealot Mytax didn't matter. She was done being the damsel in distress. That's why she was here.

Blinking, she looked ahead in the dark to find that she'd knocked her opponent unconscious. He was lying face-first on the floor. About a hundred meters ahead of her, at the bend in the hallway, she saw a slight change in the shadows. She waved one hand to let her partner know she was alright. Using her speed, she silently dashed down the hall and stopped short at his side.

"It won't be long before he's up again," she told him. "I hit him, but not hard enough to allow us a hasty escape if we linger."

"Let's just find our uncle and get out of here," he responded. He pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss.

"Matthew!" she chided, but allowed him the pleasantry. Her husband smiled and winked at her mischievously. "Did you get it?"

"Duh," he returned. He pulled a small object out of his yellow fur and showed her. Its metal surface glinted slightly in the little light there was. "Now, where did your crazy uncle run off to?"

"Down here!" came a call. The twosome turned around to see a rather tall figure stooping in the hallway. Jamie smiled. Ever since she'd met her mother's brother, she'd been reassured that there was hope for Kyea-kind. Legolas Arvensson was unlike his cruel mother in every way, and he was the next in line for the throne. That ascension, in Jamie's mind, couldn't come soon enough.

With a curt nod to her husband, Jamie dashed off behind her uncle. They ran to the exit and stopped just outside the door. Matthew arrived several minutes later, huffing and puffing. The two faster runners laughed.

"It's not…even funny anymore…" Matthew groaned. He pointed at a brown utility van that was parked across the street. The three made their way over to it and climbed inside. Matthew tossed the trinket he'd stolen back to Jamie and adjusted the car so that he could drive it. "Back to the house?"

"No," Jamie shook her head. She checked her watch for time. "Head to Dad's office. He should be in there by the time we arrive."

Her husband nodded and sped off in the dark. It was only dark here because they'd parked in an alley. The time read four in the afternoon. She turned the piece over in her hand and she forgot how to breathe. _This_ was what they'd fought to steal back from the Mytax? She could hardly believe her eyes.

"Amazing, is it not?" Legolas laughed gently. He watched his niece with curious intent.

"I've never seen anything quite like it," she mumbled. The stolen object was, like most things valuable to Kyea, a jewelry piece that looked as if it belonged on a chain. It was a giant stone set into perfect silver. The stone itself was such a pale blue that it almost seemed white, and within the uncut gem swirled lights of a spectral nature. Jamie ran one finger over its smooth surface. "Is this what I think it is?"

"The famed amulet of Kuzo," her uncle told her softly. He stared down into the swirling lights with an expression of great respect. "Legend has it that the great Dragon-king, Kuzo the Amphithere, wore this stone as a chain around his neck. It was said to be a gift made by the Sveloj, or Dwarves, and enchanted to do the direct bidding of Kuzo by the Kyea. The gift was given before the great Wynkynx War as a token of gratitude for the protection the Dragon-lords provided them."

"What did he use it for?" Jamie asked, giving Legolas a questioning glance.

"Many believe the story that Kuzo used the amulet in the last days of his mighty kingdom of Dracias," Legolas explained. "There was a great war between the Dragon-people and the Phoenix-people. When Kuzo saw that his people were losing terribly, he went out onto the battlefield himself and used the amulet to capture all of the souls of his dying subjects. He did not want the souls to pass into Rakuen, for at the time many believed Rakuen to be a place of judgment and fire. The token was then lost, and thus begins the tale of Kuzo and the remaining Dragon-lords for the search of this very amulet."

"Whoa," Jamie breathed. It wasn't the first time she'd been given a history in the form of legend, but this story was the first she'd been told about a species of dragons. The way her uncle spoke of them, it would seem that the dragons and phoenixes were even more powerful than the Mystique and High Vampri elders. "Why did we steal it from the Mytax, then?"

"Some legends are worth fighting for," Legolas said, winking at her. Something told her that he was hinting at something grander. The van came to an abrupt stop, and Matthew waved for them to follow. They exited quietly and used a nearby tunnel to enter Perry's office. The platypus arrived at the same time.

"Hi, Daddy!" Jamie greeted. Perry forced a smile and accepted her in an embrace. It was well-known that Jamie was a daddy's girl. She always felt better when her father was present. "How'd everything go today?"

"They're still trying to kick me out," he sighed, sitting in his red chair. He gave a polite nod to Legolas and Matthew. "Agent R is still insisting I'm too mentally unstable to remain in this line of work."

"Nonsense!" Jamie spluttered. "You're the best agent the O.W.C.A. has ever had! They can't just call you 'mentally unstable' and kick you out!"

"I'm not the one that called it into question," Perry sighed, rubbing one hand against his face. "The truth of the matter is that if he gathers enough proof, Ricky can very well have me out of the job. Monogram's hesitant to discharge me, but I can tell he's wary."

"And what qualifies you as 'mentally unstable,' then?" Jamie placed her hands on her hips.

"Hmm, how did Ricky put it again?" Perry tapped his chin. "Oh, I remember- 'on the pretext that Agent P has been viewed supposedly conversing with his late wife and claims that he was murdered at the hands of an assassin, but regained his life.' Ricky simply doesn't believe in our world."

"How many times have we told you, Dad," Jamie sighed, "you cannot go around telling people about anything related to Rakuen, what happened there, or anything else supernatural about our family?!"

"Under whose authority is that statement?" Perry defended himself.

"Under the authority of the Gonarish government!" Jamie and Matthew exclaimed together. Gonarede was the only Earth nation that housed Hej-wielding denizens of Earth, and it had strict laws about letting mortals without powers know about their world. Two consequences were at risk: lack of acceptance in the mortal world and a possible execution to keep the babbler quiet.

"I'm tired of hiding my family like they're fugitives!" Perry said, sounding more than stressed about the subject. He jumped out of the chair and grasped Jamie by the shoulders. "It's like no world will accept us for who we are! Why can't the hatred just…just stop?"

"I have promised to mend the wrongs committed by my mother," Legolas offered. "When I take the throne in several weeks' time, I will free your family."

"But to what extent will that that freedom be?" Perry asked, waving his hands around like a wild man who'd had several energy drinks in the past hour. "Will it be a freedom free of the distaste offered by many? Will the freedom free us from the persecution offered by other places? I don't see it that way."

"You speak of things that are out of your control, brother-in-law," Legolas warned, knowing all too well that this conversation could lead to more dangerous actions from Perry. "Protect your family, for that is all you can do."

"Just a minute, now," Jamie held her hands up. "I could be wrong, but why tell each other that anything's limited?"

"What do you mean?" Perry frowned. "Your uncle's right, I'm just not capable of some things. I thought I was after what I pulled in Rakuen, but let's face the music; if I was capable of much more, your mother would still be alive right now."

"Perhaps you'd understand better in song," Jamie said, giving him a small smile. Perry folded his arms. Jamie knew he couldn't ignore it, though.

"Enlighten me," Perry huffed.

"_I gotta slow down_," Jamie told him. "_Stop for a second, take a look around. And I gotta take time to hear that little voice inside- saying I came to give you life; so spread your wings and fly. I've got a secret to share, you are enough to change the atmosphere!_

"_So go and do life bi-i-i-ig, bi-i-ig; I wanna do life bi-i-i-ig, bi-i-ig._

"_Break out them blue skies! I can feel my heart beating inside. Yeah, it's like a new day, woke up to hear you say- I came to give you life; so spread your wings and fly! Now go and show no fear, you are enough to change the atmosphere!_

"_So go and do life bi-i-i-ig, bi-i-ig; I wanna do life bi-i-i-ig, bi-i-ig._"

"I think I get it now," Perry chuckled. He grasped Jamie's arm and spun her around a little bit. She smiled back at her dad. "I think I'd be a hot mess without you sometimes."

"Think?" Jamie laughed. "You mean know."

"Whatever," Perry rolled his eyes playfully. "Now you three get going before you get caught down here. Whatever mission you just embarked in could be illegal in the U.S. and I'd be responsible for having to arrest you."

"Alright, fine," Jamie said. She turned with her husband and uncle to leave the office, but issued her dad one last comment. "Don't be home too late, now!"

* * *

**I did not write that song, actually it's a song by singer/songwriter Jamie Grace called "Do Life Big." It was stuck in my head, and I love it, thus it showed up as kind of a 'pick-me-up.' You can look it up online to hear what it actually sounds like. Fun fact, I love this singer's voice SO MUCH that I actually read Jamie Flynn's lines using her voice a lot. (I heard her speaking at a concert, thus know the difference between her singing and regular speech). **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	4. Brotherly Love

**I realize I forgot about Candace, oh, some odd books ago...OOPS. -AJ**

* * *

Phineas

The alarm clock sounded with annoying persistence as the hour turned to eight in the morning. It was silenced by a violent slap of the off button, issued by Phineas' right hand. He let his hand drop, and with it fell the clock from the nightstand. The clock clanged against the front of the stand as it dangled helplessly by its cord. Phineas groaned.

He left his face buried in the pillow and let his arm hang limply off of the side of the bed. Isabella would be at work about now, and Jamie and Zoe would have his three kids, Danielle, Devin, and Jacob, under control. Of course, he did note that it was probably his job to manage his own kids, but he figured his excuse that he was still recovering from a year-old injury was somewhat valid.

"Up and at 'em, sunshine!"

"Go away…" Phineas mumbled to his sister Candace, who had been coming to his house every day to help since his injury. The injury was an unusual one by the standards of normal life; he'd been impaled by a large metal spoke in the realm of the dead. Still, normal doctors considered it a miracle that the spoke had missed his spine and he could still use his legs.

"Phineas, it's eight in the morning, _get up_," Candace ordered. Her brother rolled over in the bed and his breath cut short from a sharp pain running through his gut. She opened the curtains across from him and he covered his eyes with a disgruntled moan. "Oh, please…"

"Why…" Phineas breathed. He shifted a little under the covers, his injury screaming in protest. Candace walked back over to the bed grumpily and jerked the sheets off. "Cold! Cold!"

"You? Cold?" she sniffed. Phineas moved his arm so that he could give his sister a fiery glare. "Of all of the little brothers in the world…I have to have the world's most disagreeable."

"I'm not disagreeable," he returned. "Just unhappy that I was awoken."

"Get up," Candace repeated, every ounce of sympathy she might possess clearly absent. She grabbed her brother by the shoulder and pulled him up into a sitting position. He gasped and clutched his stomach. Candace frowned. "Sorry."

"Not your fault," Phineas told her, even though they both knew it was. He forced himself to stand up and stretch a little. Pain throbbed throughout his middle. Frustrated with the constant discomfort, he wrung his hands a little. He accidentally caused them to burst into flames. Candace took a few steps back.

"Whoa, take it easy!" she chuckled nervously. "I'm not fire proof like you."

"Sorry…" he muttered. Candace smiled somewhat sympathetically at him. He managed to return a smile of his own. "It's hard enough trying to not burn everything I touch. That's why a lot of our bed sheets have burn marks."

"Poor Isabella," Candace shook her head. She punched Phineas in the arm and smirked. "Remember when you jumped in the swimming pool and vaporized most of the water? Mom was so mad at you!"

"Yeah," he nodded, laughing at the memory. "A lot of crazy stuff happened that night. Perry woke up with his face in the toilet…"

"Was that Buford or Baljeet's fault?" Candace hummed.

"Baljeet was dared to," Phineas reminded her. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of plaid pajama pants. Slipping them on, he began to search for a shirt to accompany it. "That was the night before we…got into that wreck…"

"Why does that day bother you so much?" Candace asked, watching him pull on a plain white t-shirt. She folded her arms. "The only person hurt was you, and you've said yourself that that didn't bother you."

"Because it was the day everything changed," Phineas sighed. "It was the last day I saw Perry with any ounce of sanity. His imprisonment at Jake'nna Kokoro left him with a world-class mental disease. And I think that's what drove me to cave in to Eclipse's demands, which pushed Ferb away from me. If I could go back and change that day, I would, but I'm not Perry."

"Perry can't change that day either," Candace blinked.

"Ferb told me that Perry can time travel," Phineas insisted. "All he has to do is learn how to control it, and then he could change anything he wants to. Besides, we built a time machine in our youth, perhaps we could do that again instead of banking on Looney the Crazy-pus."

"Phineas, changing the past could drastically change the future," Candace told him warningly. "Why do you think your little super-hero nation outlawed the attempting of building time machines?"

"They're not _my_ nation," Phineas huffed. "I live in the United States of America, and _they _haven't outlawed building time machines yet."

"Hey, you two!"

Phineas and Candace turned to see Perry leaning on the threshold in the bedroom doorway. He frowned and placed one hand on his hip. They blinked and stared down at the intruder to their conversation.

"What do you want?" Candace narrowed her eyes.

"Stop hating on me, we both know you love me deep down under that visage," Perry waved his hand. "Okay, as to what I want, I'd love for you to stop arguing about the space-time continuum and bring your little brains back to this time long enough to realize that Ferb's at the door."

"And you didn't answer it?" Phineas growled, slightly agitated with Perry's stubbornness. He walked over the platypus and made a beeline for the front door. Yanking it open, he saw his stepbrother staring at him with a concerned expression on his face. "No, I'm not mad, but Perry knew you were at the door, I don't know why he didn't open it."

"Oh," Ferb raised his eyebrows. He stepped inside and the brothers shared a gentle hug. "How's the, ah, injury doing? Any updates?"

"I went to see my doctor yesterday," Phineas said, waving Ferb into the living room so they could sit down. "Turns out, they were wrong about my digestive track; it's completely healed up, so I can eat like a normal person again."

"Noticed the lack of medical tubes," Ferb nodded.

"Yeah, thank goodness," Phineas rolled his eyes. "It was getting so annoying. A year of not being able to eat solid food…Isabella made fried chicken last night and I was able to eat it."

Ferb smiled at this. He allowed his brother to continue talking without interruption.

"They won't need to do any more skin transplants," he went on. "They said I'll probably have small amounts of scarification where they did do that, though. But my medical standing is practically healed, to a point."

"And to what point wouldn't it be?" Ferb lifted one eyebrow curiously.

"Oh, well…" Phineas sat back and sighed. "You know probably just as well as I do that Isabella wanted to try for a fourth kid…"

"How's that relevant?"

"Well, unless we adopt, it's just not happening," Phineas said, looking away. He felt awkward discussing such a topic, even with his brother. He'd still not had the nerve to tell Isabella. Seeing her upset always broke his heart. "I just…how…how do I tell her that?"

"You…" Ferb shook his head a little. "You haven't told your wife you can't have kids anymore?"

"No…" Phineas grabbed his ear and rubbed it nervously. "I just don't know how to tell her. I mean, I'm the reason she can't have four kids, like she's wanted for a while. How do you tell your wife you can't provide for her?"

"Fair point," Ferb agreed. He paused a moment. "Would it be weird to ask what caused it?"

"No, I don't guess so," Phineas bit his lip. "The doctor said it's one of two things; either my body's just in too much physical shock and it's not permanent, or I was damaged beyond repair."

"I thought you were impaled through your stomach, though?" Ferb frowned.

"Sort of," Phineas shrugged. "Close enough to cause damage. Could also be infection or something from the injury. Can we…can we not discuss this, it's embarrassing…"

"In what way?" Ferb chuckled a little.

Heat rose in Phineas' cheeks and he turned a deep tomato red. Ferb didn't understand because Lyla didn't have a strong desire to have children. He didn't know if Ferb wanted kids or not, but the reaction his stepbrother was giving told him it wasn't as strong as his own. He also supposed Ferb didn't realize how sterility felt.

"I just…I don't think you…know…" he couldn't explain his embarrassment. Ferb grasped his arm and looked straight into his eyes. "Don't tell Buford…or Baljeet…or Irving…"

"Phineas-"

"You know, just don't tell…anybody…"

"Phineas."

"I mean, it's nobody's business…not even Perry's…"

"Not Perry's what?"

"Go away, Perry, Ferb and I are having a private discussion," Phineas cast a glance at the platypus. "You really keep walking in at a bad time today."

"I live with you, and you won't tell me your business," Perry chattered, crossing his arms. "Ferb, what's he talking about."

"None of your business," Ferb cast him a glance. "Though, I do think Phineas _should _tell you, if you'll not belittle him about it."

"Ferb, why?" Phineas asked, but he already knew why. There always seemed to be a war between Phineas' brotherly loyalty towards either Ferb or Perry. Ferb was a human brother, an actual brother that had been with him through thick and thin. Perry, on the other hand, had been with him longer than Ferb and had been his solace in light of his father's murder. By Ferb expressing the need to share this with Perry, he was leveling the playing field. He didn't want one to feel more favored than the other. "Fine…"

"So, what is it you're so hesitant to tell me?" Perry frowned.

"I can't have kids anymore…" Phineas mumbled. Perry looked for a moment as if he would take it as a joke, but then thought better of it after a sideways look was given to him by Ferb. Phineas half-expected some sort of comment from the platypus, who would occasionally make note of his copious amount of children, but none came.

"Have you perchance told Isabella?" Perry blinked.

"No," he and Ferb shook their heads at the same time. Perry knitted his brow, giving him a look that told him he was treading in dangerous waters. Phineas sat forward a little and let go of his ear. "Well, how would you go about telling her? You remember the conversation we had a month or so ago; she said as soon as I healed up, she wanted to try for a fourth child…"

"That's apparently not happening," Perry hummed. "But you have to tell her, I mean, eventually she'd realize it wasn't working, and then you'd be way worse off than you would be just telling her now."

"He has a point," Ferb agreed.

"I know, I know," Phineas said, lowering his head. He sighed and closed his eyes. They were right, but they still didn't get it. Especially Perry. Phineas looked at the platypus with a grim expression. "Still…how would you feel if you'd have had to tell Xhirxhti you were spent?"

"Touché," Perry grimaced. Realization seemed to hit the secret agent. "Man, telling her that is like…having a death wish. I guess I get your point. But, to be honest, I still think it'd be better to just tell her. She's your wife—she deserves your honesty and bravery to tell her things, even when you don't want to because you know they'll hurt her."

The conversation stood at a standstill for a moment. Perry considered it bravery to tell a girl things that even a guy couldn't exactly come to terms with. He wondered how many times the platypus had actually been in that sort of situation. Ferb sat quietly in agreement with the agent. What wasn't there to trust? They were his two closest confidants. If he couldn't take their advice, then he couldn't take anyone's advice. His best interests were clearly on their minds. Heck, Perry was, for once, not making light of a situation he was struggling with.

"You honestly think so?" Phineas raised one eyebrow.

"Cross my heart," Perry winked. He hopped over onto the couch next to Phineas and wrapped his little arms around his human brother's side gently. Smiling, Phineas stroked the platypus' back. "Trust me, Phin; there's nothing in this Alterverse that would ever turn Isabella away from you. You two have a bond stronger than hydrogen and oxygen."

"Thanks," Phineas laughed. Ferb wrapped his arms around the pair of them and joined the hug as well. "Thanks for making my love life sound like a chemistry experiment."

"You're welcome," Perry chuckled.

"We're always here for you," Ferb reminded him. "Don't forget that."

* * *

**Poor, poor Candace. **

**Next Chapter...Perry**


	5. A Unusual Meeting

**It took me awhile, but here is your update! I'm updating from my college dorm! Eeeek! :D -AJ**

* * *

Perry

Perry retired to his bedroom just after lunch, which was something he always did on Wednesdays. No one ever questioned it; it was a habit he'd formed after his wife's death, so most assumed it was a means of coping. And it was, indeed, just that. He'd close the door, blocking out the world, and he'd focus on the love of his life for an hour. Exactly an hour. Why? Because even though it was coping, it also was something entirely different.

His eyes flicked to the clock. The time read two o'clock on the dot. He smiled. Perry snatched his fedora off of the nightstand and sat it on his head. He turned it by the brim with his thumbs to make sure it was facing the right way.

"You and that fedora!"

Turning around chuckling, Perry grinned and put one hand on his hip. He shook his head as a somewhat pained feeling hit his chest. Forcing himself past the pain, he stared where the voice had come from.

"I can't help it," he chuckled some more. "I'm like Indiana Jones in that respect; one doesn't go without the other."

"More like the Doctor and his bowtie," she rolled her eyes. The intangible, spectral form staring back at him was none other than the form of his wife. Xhirxhti folded her arms and gave him a flirtatious smile.

He had to admit, he took her death better than he thought he would have. Yes, it hurt him every single second of every single day. Yes, he couldn't understand why she wouldn't attempt the Timeshift to return to life with him again, just as he'd done for her. Yes, he struggled with letting her go by confronting her soul every single Wednesday just to hear her voice again.

No, he didn't ever complain.

Xhirxhti had told him from the moment she'd been granted access to the land of the living that she refused to return on anyone's account. Her reason, though heavy on Perry's heart, was, in his eyes, a valid one. She remained in the Vault of Souls to show a clear rebellion against her mother in the life she'd chosen, but a grand respect for the woman who'd raised her through her death.

No, he would never comprehend it.

"Sure, whatever you want to use as an analogy," Perry shrugged. He sat down on his bed and sighed. "Well, Phineas is practically healed up. And your brother and Jamie recently went on a mission to claim some amulet."

"Glad to hear that Phineas is doing better," Xhirxhti hummed. She came over to her husband's side and made like she was sitting beside him. "What's this business with an amulet, though?"

"Some Kuzo's Amulet, or something of that nature," Perry told her. He watched her eyes light up in interest. "What? You've heard of this before?"

"Oh, yes!" she nodded. "All young Kyea are told the story of Kuzo the Amphithere, the Dragon-king of Dracias, and his powerful amulet. The Dragon-people haven't been seen for millennia!"

"So, you're saying that if they've found this amulet," Perry blinked, "then there must be people that worship dragons to go with it?"

"You misinterpret, love," Xhirxhti laughed mirthfully. "The Dragon-people were a race of dragons, as varied in type as humans are varied in skin color. Legend says that they would travel to various other planets and bestow their wisdom upon its inhabitants if they were willing, but if they were not willing, they would wreak destruction upon their civilization. They could shape-shift into a form that resembled a Kyea, for diplomatic reasons, some say. The amulet, though, is no legend, nor is it a religious artifact.

"The Sveloj, or Dwarf, clan of Murqtae discovered the stone of Kuzo's amulet in the ancient days. They carved the stone, a pale blue crystal so light that it would seem that light was captured inside of it, into a perfect orb. They fashioned it into a polished jewel and set it into silver. It was then attached to a chain to be worn about the neck. The clan leader came to the Kyea people, who were at that time united, and asked them to bestow a powerful gift upon the stone, rendering it an amulet. They agreed, and together, the Sveloj and the Kyea presented this amulet to Kuzo as a means of peace, to gain protection from the great Dragon-lords."

"So, have you ever met one of these Dragon-people?" Perry lifted his brow curiously. "And do they eat platypuses?"

"Oh, yes, yes I have," she nodded, ignoring his second question entirely. "The Dragon-lords, before their disappearance in the great war between the Dragon-people and the Phoenix-people, would send a diplomat to Nepoçie to maintain their treaty with its people."

"How many of these lords were there?" Perry asked. "And you skipped that one question, Xhirx."

"There were thirty-four, not including the king," Xhirxhti told him. "And I can name them, if you like."

"Name them? Try me," Perry chuckled.

"You asked for it," she smirked. "Let me think…there was Sir Lung, Lady Naga, Sir Nogo, Sir Ryu, Sir Neak, Lady Yong, Lady Imoogi, Lady Gyo, Lady Bakunawa, Lady Rong, Sir Drac, Lady Vibria, Sir Dragoon, Sir Scultone, Lady Lindworm, Sir Wyvern, Sir Ddraig Goch, Sir Wruen, Sir Zomok, Lady Sarkany, Lady Zmey, Lady Vishap, Sir Yilbegan, Sir Balaur, Lady Vere Celen, Lady Cuelebre, Lady Bolla, Lady Kulshedra, Sir Dreq, Lady Coca, Sir Drakon, Sir Zilant, Lady Evren, and Sir Slibinas."

"Okay…didn't actually think you would name all of them," Perry blinked a little. "How do you even keep those crazy names in your memory?"

"The same way I know the full names of all of our children," Xhirxhti giggled. Perry rolled his eyes. "It's only two less names."

"Two less? Really?" Perry chuckled.

"Perry!" she gasped, tossing a punch that went through his shoulder. He laughed jovially. "Please tell me you're joking; these are your children we're talking about here, don't tell me you don't know how many you have!"

"Of course I know!" Perry returned with a childish grin. "But back to the topic of these Dragon-people—you've actually met some?"

"I once met Sir Ryu," Xhirxhti recalled, looking off into the distance. "And his wife, Lady Yong. They came, when I was still a child, to Amoyx for a meeting with the Council of Cressellos."

"Who's Cressellos?" Perry frowned.

"The husband of Cressella," Xhirxhti explained. Perry was taken aback at hearing that the Mystique leader of the Elders had a husband. "Yes, I know. The husbands of the famed Mystique are rarely a topic of interest outside of Nepoçie. It's because they mainly deal with political issues, while their wives are practically the poster children for their cause."

"Okay then," Perry hummed. "So, back to your response to them finding this amulet. Why are you so interested?"

"It's said that in the failing days of the Dragon-people, in their battles with the Phoenix-people of Phoelus, Kuzo actually made use of the amulet," Xhirxhti sighed. "When he noticed the war was going badly for his people, he used the amulet to capture the souls of his dying warriors, to keep them out of the supposed fires of Rakuen. It was long ago prophesied that those souls were the key to bringing back the Dragon-people, but they've been long extinct."

"Extinct?" Perry blinked. "Long? How old are you again?"

"Yes, they were said to have died out after the war," Xhirxhti nodded. She clasped her hands together. "As did, they say, the Phoenix-people. No one's seen either for millennia."

"Yeah, that only makes me wonder about your age even more," Perry frowned, unhappy that she'd ignored his question.

"Perhaps their finding of the amulet will bring back those magnificent people," Xhirxhti suggested. She looked back at Perry. "It would probably bring a great advantage and protection to all those who support the good of the Alterverse."

"You're ignoring my question," Perry said, playfully narrowing his eyes at her. She gave him a look of slight annoyance.

"I thought we agreed that my age wasn't important," she crossed her arms.

"I'm still curious," Perry chuckled.

"Curiosity killed the cat," Xhirxhti frowned.

"Good thing I'm a platypus," Perry raised his eyebrows jokingly. "Why is it so important that I _not_ know your age? I mean, obviously our age gap doesn't bother me. What's to hide?"

"Let's be honest, if I revealed my age and you told someone," Xhirxhti said cautiously, "some people would consider it inappropriate."

"There are no anti-Dnalif laws in Gonarede, so they wouldn't exactly arrest us for things like that," Perry laughed. "So think of a better excuse."

"You'd never believe me," Xhirxhti insisted. "Plus, my age Earth-wise is much older than my age Nepoçie-wise. It's a little weird to calculate."

"Give me your age as you would give it to anyone else," Perry told her, waving ne hand. "If you'd prefer to use your home age, then use it. If you'd rather say your Earth-age, then that's fine as well."

"You'd comprehend Earth-age better," she sighed. "Are you _positive_ that you want to know?"

"Of course!" Perry told her impatiently. "You're my wife; I've always wanted to know. The one person you get to know everything about, and she doesn't even reveal her age. Tsk!"

"Okay, okay!" Xhirxhti waved her hands defensively. "Promise me you won't freak out or anything?"

"Cross my heart," Perry winked at her.

"Okay, my age, according to the Georgian calendar that the humans of Earth use," she said slowly, "is four thousand, seven hundred and fifteen years old."

"This is your age at your time of death?" Perry blinked. He had to be honest; he'd known she was older than he could comprehend, but he'd never guessed in the thousands. Much less the _four_ thousands.

"Yes," she nodded. "I'm not counting years in Rakuen, because they don't count in terms of how long I lived."

"I know I said I wouldn't freak," Perry said, "but can I just say—you look hot to be as old as you are."

"Is that a compliment?" she giggled.

"Eh, humans use it," he chuckled. "I don't know, do you find that a compliment? Or am I just unintentionally being insulting?"

"Haven't decided yet," Xhirxhti told him. "I might consider it a compliment if you promise to never tell the kids my age. They'll go nuts. That's the last thing you need to happen."

"Hmm…deal," Perry gave her a thumb's up.

"Ah, I figured you'd be sensible," Xhirxhti laughed. They both knew just how careful Perry was to never insult her. "Now, on a completely different note. Since you made that rabbit trail, I'm going to bring your focus back to our original discussion."

"The amulet that your brother and Jamie stole?" Perry asked.

"Precisely," she nodded. "It's your job to make sure they're responsible with it. I know my brother knows just how important the amulet is, but Jamie may be unaware of what she's even dealing with. If she's the one keeping it, you need to let her know it's not just a trinket and that she should probably give it back to my brother."

"And if she refuses?" Perry blinked.

"She's our daughter," Xhirxhti folded her arms. "She doesn't say 'no' to us when we tell her to do something, even if she's all grown up."

"Fair point, I guess," he shrugged. Standing, Perry began to pace in front of the bed. "But have you ever considered that someday our kids should live their own lives? I mean, Jamie is married and has kids of her own. And so does Zoe!"

"You're suggesting…what exactly?" Xhirxhti frowned, giving him a sharp look.

"Well, I don't know…" Perry recoiled quickly, slightly upset at himself for plucking at his wife's nerves. He rubbed his palms together and considered his strongest argument. "Xhirx, baby, I just think that when our kids decide to commit themselves to soul mates, they should be allowed to move out from under our wings."

"As in…get their own place?" she crossed her arms.

"In some aspects, yes," Perry nodded. He turned and faced her with a certain confidence in his stature. "Jamie shouldn't have us running her life anymore. She's got her own family, now. Plus, it's cluttered in the house, if you hadn't noticed. They can get homes up in Gonarede. They should be allowed to live free of our expectations."

"Let them live…independently?" Xhirxhti gaped, leaning forward a little bit. "Perry, it's dangerous! Hidari-"

"-are legal under the Gonarish state!" Perry finished for her. His wife's ghastly form shifted uneasily. "Xhirx, things are changing! This is why we agreed to not fight your murder!"

"Execution!" Xhirxhti insisted.

"No, no it wasn't!" Perry told her. "You were _murdered._ And because you were murdered, a revolution like no other is rising. And it's unstoppable."

* * *

**Thanks for your patience! I've been working a little bit at a time, moving in was fun though! Enjoy!**

**Next Chapter...Lay**


	6. Real Motive

**I was forced into making up a better motive for this loser...xD -AJ**

* * *

Lay

There was no denying that Quisling found Jase X to be utterly annoying. The kid was an amateur when it came to job of being an assassin. He was on his first mission with the kid as his partner, and he wished that he was alone once more. He peered through the small crack in the wall he was hiding behind. Jase was breathing on the back of his neck. He pointed the gun at the target; a man known as Thomas Darby. For some reason, the name rang a bell. Perhaps it was someone his mother had talked about from her numerous years at Invinci.

His mother. A wave of pain washed over his stone-cold heart. He hadn't quite gotten over the fact that his mother had been executed in Amoyx over a year ago. It almost made him question whose side he was on. Almost. It also drove him to want to kill everyone that had been involved in her death. Including his Korobu-chisai-ontosel father.

Shaking his head, he refocused on his victim. He pressed his finger to the trigger and didn't even blink as the bullet left the holster. The man crumpled, and the woman he was talking to began to freak out. Quisling stood up and elbowed Jase out of his way. The kid gave him a harsh look.

"So your job is killing people?" Jase frowned.

"Excuse me, but what part of _assassin_ don't you get?" Quisling crossed his arms. He took a few steps towards Jase. "I'm an assassin because I kill people. It is my job to kill unwanted persons. Lady Eclipse needs people dead, I take care of that. Got it?"

"I thought killing people was wrong," Jase blinked.

"What kind of child of Semi are you?" Quisling shook his head in dismay. Jase tensed up.

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" Jase growled.

"Your father is one of the most revered assassins in the Eclipsian Empire and you think killing is wrong!" Quisling scoffed. "It's almost revolting to know that you're the son of the Angel of Death."

"I do not approve of that name for him," Jase narrowed his eyes.

"And why not?" Quisling raised his brow.

"I do not like to think of my father as a murderer," Jase crossed his arms to mimic Quisling's stance. "My mother tells me that he had a heart just like any other creature in this Alterverse."

"Get your mind straight," Quisling muttered. He turned around and walked out towards the darkest part of the alley. They couldn't risk being seen with a Retropelet; they were in Mortale territory. Those humans couldn't see this. He tossed the device down and the portal opened up. "Now get back to base before I leave you here."

"And if I refuse?" Jase said stubbornly.

"I'm responsible for you, kid," Quisling spat. He took a step toward the boy and jabbed one finger into his chest. With his mechanical arm, he replaced his hand with a sharp blade and pressed it to Jase's neck. "Are you going to cooperate, or are you going to do this the hard way?"

"I do not want to return to Wynkyah Eclipse's base," he said flatly. He jerked his head a little to get the black hair out of his face. Quisling was aggravated at the kid's lack of concern for the knife at his throat. "I want to find my father, and I will search for him here on Earth."

"I could kill you, right here and now, kid," Quisling whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. "You want me to tell you a little something? Hmm? I know your father. And he's a traitor to the state of Eclipse. You don't need him. You don't want him. And he doesn't want you."

"You do not know that," Jase said, keeping his confidence up. "You did not even know that I existed until Wynkyah Eclipse presented me to you as your partner."

"Do you understand how much trouble I will be in if I don't return to base with you?" Quisling narrowed his eyes to slits. The kid just wasn't getting his point enough. He backed him into the wall of the building beside them and growled a little. "I was given you as a partner, even if I didn't want that to happen. Thus, it is my duty to make sure that you return to Eclipse's care and not go waltzing around Earth like this is recess time at your pathetic little preschool. Get the picture?"

"I am staying here," Jase insisted.

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, yes I am."

"You're coming with me whether you like it or not."

"No, I am not."

"You don't have an option."

"We all have a choice."

"Don't get philosophical with me!" Quisling snarled. He dropped his arm and retracted the knife. Sighing, he looked into the Retropelet and set his jaw. He wanted to leave the sorry kid there. Not a bone, or gear, in his body wanted that kid anywhere near to him. He was a distraction, at best.

"I am not getting philosophical with you," Jase argued, taking a few steps towards the exit of the alleyway. "Besides, am I not, in the end, responsible for my own person? I choose to go and locate my father, whom I have never met. You cannot stop me from acting against your will, for I, indeed, have free will."

"So you want me to just tell her that you ran off?" Quisling asked, turning around to face the kid. "Just like that? Jase X ran off, and there was nothing I could do to stop the stupid fool from doing so?"

"You could be a bit nicer in your description of the situation," Jase sniffed.

"Do I look like the kind of person who wants to be nice?" Quisling frowned. "Do I? I've tried to kill my own sister, I am _not_ nice."

"Why would you try to kill your own sister?" Jase blinked.

"Oh, numerous reasons," Quisling sighed. "Jealously. She's always been a favorite. Hatred. She's a sibling, and thus I don't have to like her. But, to be quite honest with you, it wasn't until recently that I came to terms with the reason that I _really_ want her dead."

"Which…is?" Jase swallowed.

"Tell me, Jase X," Quisling said absent-mindedly. "Have you ever looked at a woman and seen perfection?"

"No," he shook his head. "But I suppose when I find 'the one,' I shall."

"It's a feeling like no other," Quisling sighed. He stared deep into the vortex made by the Retropelet. "And my sister is the woman that fits that perfection. Yet she is my sister, and it would be so wrong for me to have her. So I decided long ago that if I couldn't have her—no one else could either."

* * *

**Thanks for your patience! I've been working a little bit at a time, moving in was fun though! Enjoy!**

**Next Chapter...Jamie**


	7. Serious Subjects

**There was a request for some more information on Lexi. So here is some about Lexi! :3 -AJ**

* * *

Jamie

"Shh, precious, it's okay," Jamie whispered. She had her year-old daughter, Lexi, in her arms. The toddler was crying, probably from a nightmare she'd had. Jamie sat down on the couch in the living room and clutched Lexi tightly. The blind child grasped Jamie's fur in her tiny hands and buried her face in her mother's chest. She rocked her body a little bit. "You have to calm down and tell mommy what's wrong, baby girl. Tell me what's wrong."

"Monster chase," Lexi said. She only ever spoke in two word statements; a subject to describe what and a verb to describe the action.

Lexi should have been able to form simple sentences, but Jamie knew that might not happen for a while—or at all. Being an unfortunate product of incest, the child had a few mental instabilities. For one, she had high levels of serotonin, which made her prone to fear and anxiety. She was also slow to learn, slow to trust, and quick to having fits. For the longest time, Lexi would only allow Jamie herself to handle her; after a year, only two other persons had joined that list: Perry, her father, and Zoe, her aunt.

There were other 'problems' that Lexi had. Jamie never quite agreed that they were problems, as she would always hastily replace someone's mention of Lexi's 'problems' with the same statement, but the word 'differences' in its place. Lexi was blind, and had been since birth. She was also had malnutrition. Not to mention that, as Svinski had told her, when she was old enough, she'd never be able to have children (and, he'd added, she might never even experience arousal in that aspect). Jamie wasn't too worried about her daughter's sexual life, but it still made her, in others' eyes, rather odd.

Now, the numerous 'problems' that Lexi had were mostly the result of Jamie's immortal genes. If two mortals had been Lexi's parents, she might not have had so many things to deal with. Sighing, Jamie stroked her daughter's back and leaned back against the couch. Lexi curled up into a little ball.

"The monster won't get you, I've got you," Jamie reassured her, keeping her arms wrapped around her. She looked up to see her father standing in the doorway of the living room, watching intently. Nodding, she indicated with her eyes that he should sit down next to her. Perry did so quietly.

"Nightmare?" he mouthed. Jamie nodded. He reached out to stroke Lexi, but then pulled his hand back. Guilt filled Jamie's chest, even if it wasn't her fault. Perry hated it when his children didn't like his comfort, something they'd both learned about him when Lexi was born. She was his only child that didn't seem to like his touch.

"Lexi, your Daddy wants you to be okay," Jamie told her. Lexi sniffed the air a little and turned her face in the direction of Perry. Her little hand shot out in a desperate reach for his hand. Smiling a little at this rare gesture, Perry offered her his hand. She grasped it and pulled it to her. Jamie did her best not to tense. Perry must have sensed her awkward feeling and gave her an apologetic look for being too close. "Not your fault, Dad."

"I…I know…" Perry said, flushing red.

Wriggling a little bit, Lexi tucked Perry's hand under her body and curled up once more against her mother. She rested her small head next to Jamie's heart and let out a tiny sigh that resembled a squeak. Content that Lexi had been pacified, Jamie felt her heart relax a little.

"Thanks," she said, giving her dad a grateful smile.

"No problem," he smiled back a little. He stared down at Lexi's tiny figure. "I just wish that she wouldn't be so hesitant of me…"

"I wish that she'd be more open to people in general," Jamie sighed. "If you are Zoe aren't available, I have to cancel whatever else I'm doing to take care of her. It's a little frustrating sometimes."

"Maybe she'll grow out of it as she gets older," Perry suggested. He shifted his sitting position slightly. "I don't know, though. I feel like we messed her world up. She's confused and doesn't know why."

"Don't blame yourself," Jamie told him quickly. "We couldn't have predicted anything that happened. Besides, what if you're right? What if she does grow out of her people anxiety?"

"Let's hope so," Perry blinked, looking away. "She's gonna need some kind of interaction. I don't want everything in her mind to keep her from making relationships."

"She already might never experience intimate love," Jamie frowned. Perry gave her an incredulous look. "That's what Svinski said. He said that not only can she never have children, but her mental capacity for arousal is limited to fear and anxiety. No attraction in her brain whatsoever…"

"That almost seems…" Perry fought for a word to use. "…sad."

"I mean, she can love," Jamie shrugged. "Just not in the way that you loved Mom. Or in the way that I love Matthew."

"But she'd have to break out of her fear of new people," Perry frowned. Jamie nodded in agreement. A light snore erupted from Lexi's mouth. Perry slipped his hand away from the sleeping toddler's hands and stood up. Jamie stood as well and made her way into her bedroom. She gently laid Lexi back down and covered her with a blanket. She went back out into the living room and crossed her arms.

"What woke you?" Jamie asked her dad.

"Excuse me?" he narrowed his eyes.

"Something woke you up," Jamie raised her brow. She took a few steps closer to him. "Obviously, something had to have done so. You don't just take midnight trips down to the family room."

"N-nothing," Perry stammered. Jamie set her jaw. He sighed. "Okay, fine, I had another nightmare about your mother's death."

"When are you going to get over that?" Jamie asked him. She stared at him as if he were someone totally different. He stared back like she was stark mad. Her mother had mourned for a little, but she'd never had these obsessive recurring nightmares. It was almost as if he refused to accept her death and move on.

"Get…over…that?" Perry said slowly. He took a few steps towards her and looked as if she'd just slapped him across the face and spit curses at him. "You honestly expect me to get over that? I had to stand by and helplessly watch my entire life die a painful, painful death, and you want me to _get over it_?"

"Dad, you can't consume your life with mourning her death!" Jamie said, feeling slightly stressed about his stubborn insistence. Perry tensed up. There was a ferocity in his eyes that Jamie rarely ever saw. "You have to move on and let that stress factor in your life go!"

"How can you ask me to let it go when you don't even know what it feels like?" Perry demanded, thrusting his arms out. Jamie cowered a little. "You can't say _anything_ about my feelings until it's happened to you! You haven't had to watch someone you love die slowly and painfully! You've never had to watch your beloved give in to the very thing she's been fighting since before you were even born! You've never had to hold your lover's hand as she drew her last breath and faded from this world!

"And because you've never experienced any of that, you don't know what it's like to feel like it's all your fault! Because you've known since the moment you were a father that your marriage was illegal and the penalty was death. And you've never understood how hard your significant other fought to change things until you see her tears of failure streaming down her cheeks as she loves her killers, her family, with a passion that brings fear to their souls.

"And I can guarantee that you'll never comprehend the sacrifice that your mother made for you! You can't imagine what she went through, and you especially can't imagine what I went through watching it! She fought for you with her dying breath, and she fought for me with her dying breath. Had you seen her tear-stained cheeks and her weakened body, you might think differently!

"But no, I spared you that horror so that you didn't have to see it in your waking dreams. Almost every night, I have to relive that moment of my life, and everything I've tried doesn't ever seem to remove the image from my mind. I see the last kiss we had, the last dance we shared, the last song we sang, the last loving glance we shared. I see the faces of every accusing member of her family and royal court jeering at her and spitting on her as if she's trash. I see the hatred. I see the love. I see the relief in Arven's eyes. I see the pain in Xhirxhti's.

"And every time I experience this nightmare, I feel the same heart-wrenching feelings that I felt that day. The same guilt poisons my mind and the same sorrow fills my stomach. So don't you _dare_ ever ask me to get over it again, Jamie Marie Flynn! Don't you _dare_!"

Perry turned and stormed out of the room. He locked himself into his bedroom and left Jamie standing in the living room with her mouth wide open in shock. His rage had petrified her. She calmed herself a little and took a few steps back. Something touched her shoulder and she jumped, turning around.

"What was that all about?"

"Oh, Uncle Phineas, it's you!" Jamie sighed in relief. He gave her a concerned look. He was crouched down beside her. "Daddy's just…he's so mad…I don't know what to do anymore…"

"Mad about what?" Phineas asked.

"Well, he's mad that I want him to kinda move on and get over Mom's death," Jamie explained. Phineas nodded knowingly. "Did I overstep my bounds with that or something? He got so…so full of rage…"

"Yeah, I guess I'd say that you did," Phineas said, sitting down cross-legged. "Perry's a fragile soul, you could say. He's seen a lot, he's experienced a lot, and he's lost a lot. When someone's heart is pushed to its limit, it can make them bottle up feelings and dispense them when pressured."

"Do you agree that he should move on?" Jamie blinked.

"I don't know," Phineas sighed. He leaned back on his palms and looked away in thought. "I mean, the bond that your parents had was something special that I never wanted to see broken. But at the same time, Perry seems to be more stable when he has someone he loves intimately near him. For example, he was able to learn to suppress Semi more when Xhirxhti was around. Without Xhirxhti, Semi had full reign of his body and actions."

"So, you're not saying he should replace Mom," Jamie said slowly, "you're saying he needs someone to fill the position of a level-headed lover."

"Exactly," Phineas said. "He needs someone that can keep him straight and give him the attention he so desperately desires. When I was little, his attention came mostly from myself and Ferb. But once Xhirxhti entered the picture, I think he realized that he wanted a _different_ type of attention."

"But why can't he get over it?" Jamie frowned. She started to pace. "I mean, yes, I understand he loved her, but why can't he just accept it and deal with it?"

"Let me put it to you this way, Jamie," Phineas said, smiling a little. "When you devote your life to someone, like you have with Matthew, like I have with Isabella, like you dad did with Xhirxhti, there are some things, that when they happen, you just can't rebound from."

"Meaning?" Jamie bit the edge of her bill.

"Meaning," Phineas chuckled, "that when you lose that certain person, it's much like you've lost a part of yourself. Like your world has caved in. Like there's almost no reason to live anymore."

"How do you know this?" Jamie asked.

"Well, that's what Isabella told me she felt when I was lost for a while," he sighed. Jamie looked down. "And I felt the same way about not having her near me as well. You've just never been separated from Matthew in a way that has brought that kind of pain to you."

"Do you think that that will ever happen to one of us?" Jamie looked into her uncle's eyes. An unusual question, she knew. But would she ever lose him in that way? Or the other way around- would he lose her that way?

"That's not for me to say," Phineas pursed his lips. Jamie frowned. He sighed deeply. "Look, if I knew if one of you was going to die and experience those feelings, I would tell you. But I don't know that. How do I know when and where you will die? I'm not a seer, you know."

"Well…" Jamie mumbled. She knew not to push the subject. Not that she wanted to think about herself dying. She didn't want to die. Her life was still fairly young. There were more years that she could live. Sighing, she removed the thought from her mind. She needn't think of something that wasn't in her near future. "I suppose I should get some rest…"

"Yeah, that'd be a good idea," Phineas chuckled. "Just don't be too hard on your father, okay? He's going through a tough time."

"I'll try," she said, managing a smile.

She walked back to her own bedroom and looked over at her sleeping husband's form. He had had a long day and fell asleep just after he'd eaten dinner. She crawled into the bed next to him and snuggled up against his warm body. The thought of losing him was suddenly very prevalent in her mind. A tingling fear gnawed at her mind. She buried her face in his fur and breathed in his scent.

There was nothing to fear. Not yet.

* * *

**Now...near the end of this story someone will end up re-reading this chapter and slapping the heck out of me. I refuse to disclose why. My lips are sealed! **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	8. Don't Break Her Heart

**Ran this chapter by Killua. He said he's sad now...oops. -AJ**

* * *

Phineas

With as much care and precision as he would take in building a machine, Phineas set the table up in the most formal and fancy way he knew how. He made sure the forks were as straight as could be. The napkins were folded neatly into triangles. Two glasses for each set—one for water, and one for a bit of wine. The water glasses were already full, with ice to keep it cold and a lemon to complement. Picking up a bottle of Freemark Abbey 2010, he noted that he must have removed the cork earlier as he poured a bit in each glass. Last, but not least, he placed dinner on the table, steaming hot on the plates.

He'd spent his evening cooking up a nice dinner of oriental-style steak and baked potatoes. A salad was on the side; he made sure to have cut up all of her favorites and compile the salad for her. It was also a fact that he had fixed desert. That was a rich chocolate cake, a recipe he'd learned from Ferb.

The front door creaked open and then fell shut. Phineas smiled. Isabella was home at last. He walked out into the foyer to greet her. They embraced, and he held her tightly to his body. Their lips locked, and he cupped her cheek with his hand. When they pulled away, he stroked some of her hair away from her face.

"Hey, beautiful," he greeted.

"Hey, Phineas," she returned, staring into his eyes a moment before reluctantly going to take of her shoes and coat and to put away her work things. She met him in the dining room and was surprised to see the setup. "My, someone's been busy."

"I thought you'd appreciate something nicer today," he shrugged a little. He pulled out her chair and waited as she slipped into it slowly. Phineas took out a couple of candles and set them on the table. Isabella gave him a curious smile. "What?"

"Someone's feeling romantic," she giggled.

"Just a little," he admitted with a chuckle. He snapped his fingers to produce a small flame. Holding the flame near the wicks, he lit the candles and waved his hand briskly to put out the fire. Taking his seat, he took a quick sip of water. A few of the ice cubes shrunk significantly from just his touch of the glass.

"You know something I've always wondered about you and your powers?" Isabella asked. Phineas lifted his eyebrows. They both picked up their utensils and started with their salads.

"What?" he urged.

"How does water not bother you?" she posed, taking a bite of her food.

"Well, water does make it harder to do some pretty normal things," he said. "Like, if I heat myself up, water can evaporate, so showers can be a little tricky. Too much water can cause me to be unable to ignite an actual flame. On the bright side, rain doesn't ever soak me if I keep my temperature high enough."

"And that doesn't boil the water in your own body?" she grinned.

"It—you know what?" he put his hands up. "Ask Svinski."

She laughed at this. It made his heart feel even warmer. He loved the sound of her laughter. Laughter meant she was happy. The way he saw things was that if she was happy, he was happy.

"Another question," she said, before finishing up her small salad. "Phineas, where on Earth are the kids?"

"Oh, don't panic!" he reassured her. "They're in good hands."

"Define good hands, because if you left them with Dillon—"

"Isabella, do I look like an idiot?" Phineas gave her a look. There was a pause before the both of them burst out in laughter once more. He shook his head and sat back in his chair. "No, I left them in the capable hands of Jamie. And Doof might be there, too…I hope he's being the responsible adult he should be."

"Well, he does have a daughter," Isabella hummed. "I suppose I can trust his parenting abilities. Perhaps not his morals…"

"Oh, gosh, not his morals!" Phineas chuckled.

Their dinner conversation went along in that fashion as they slowly ate their meal. They discussed things such as how work had been for Isabella that day, and how had Phineas been feeling since that morning. Were things _really_ under control at home, or was that just Phineas' way of pretending he knew what was going on while he slept all day long? Did Isabella really want to know the answer to that question?

After they finished eating their meal, Phineas got up and retrieved the dessert from the kitchen. Isabella tried to clear the table, but he stopped her and said that he had it, she should just sit down and relax. He brought her a piece of cake and a glass of milk, and sat down with his own dessert. They ate that with minimal chat, and then Phineas finished cleaning up and put everything in the dishwasher. Isabella walked into the doorway and crossed her arms.

"So," Isabella addressed him. "What's with all of the niceness?"

"I felt like making you feel special," Phineas said, drying his hands off after washing them in the kitchen sink. He turned around and smiled at her. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"No," she shook her head. "What's the occasion, though? It's not my birthday. It's not our anniversary. I didn't get a promotion or anything."

"Does there have to be a reason to for me to treat my wife who I love with all of my heart and soul?" Phineas asked her, walking over and wrapping his arms around her waist. She slipped her arms around his neck and they leaned in for a long kiss. As soon as their lips parted, they were back together again.

"Hey, I have a—" Doof walked in the kitchen behind them and frowned. "You know…I'll find the scissors myself."

Phineas didn't pay him any mind. He was too absorbed with Isabella to notice anyways. Subconsciously, he found himself removing his wife's dress shirt so that she was just in her camisole.

"Well, that escalated quickly…" Doof muttered. He rummaged around for the scissors in a drawer. Upon finding them, he took them out and shut the drawer. He turned around and sighed. "Couches are even a good alternative to the wall, you two. Just saying. But nobody listens to old Doofster…he's just a voice, rambling on and on in the background."

Still ignoring him, the lovers continued their embrace. Slightly annoyed with them ignoring his suggestion, Doof grabbed Phineas by the leg and pulled them into their bedroom. They didn't seem to notice.

"You two have fun with that," Doof grumbled, shutting their door behind himself.

"Great," Isabella smiled. "He's gone."

Before Phineas could respond, she grasped his shirt collar and pulled him down on the bed. She pulled him onto his side and pressed her body closer to his. He felt her tugging at his shirt. Phineas wrapped his arms tightly around her and took in her scent. Her shampoo smelled like strawberries. Isabella started to pull Phineas' shirt off. He reached down and stopped her hand.

"What's wrong?" she asked him. She backed off a little and stared into his blue eyes with concern. Phineas ran his thumb across her cheek.

"What's wrong with just enjoying each other's presence?" he returned softly. "We can snuggle. Isn't that enough?"

"I thought you were feeling better?" Isabella frowned, seductively running a finger down his front. Her finger stopped at his pants line and she ran her finger along the inside of his waistband. Phineas tried to ignore it.

"Well, yes, but—"

"Then why not?" she raised her eyebrows a little. She slowly undid his belt. Phineas shifted a little. It didn't deter her from removing the belt. He felt a pang of guilt. He wanted to tell her. Her come on was more than just sexual interest—she'd told him since the day they'd married that she'd wanted four kids. He grasped her hand before she could unzip his pants.

"Isabella, it's not going to work," he swallowed. She blinked a little and stared into his eyes, clearly confused at his statement.

"Phineas, what are you talking about?" she frowned. "You're clearly in the mood."

At her assertion, he looked down and buried his face in her chest. She was taken aback by this. He couldn't help it, though. Looking at her only made it worse. Was he offending her? He didn't want to do that. It was hard to keep from crying. He let the tears flow, though. Her hopes were about to be crushed.

"What…what's wrong?" she stammered. She placed her hands on his shoulders and squeezed lightly. "Phineas, what won't work?"

"I…I can't give you what you want…" he whispered. She asked him what he'd said. "I said I can't give you what…what you want, Isabella."

She didn't respond. Instead, she just pulled him closer to her chest and stroked his back. Did she understand what he'd told her or was she just waiting for him to calm back down to explain more? He didn't know. Couldn't know.

"I…I'm sorry…" he managed.

"When were you going to tell me…?" she asked him quietly.

"I…I don't know…" he admitted. She ran her fingers through his hair. "I didn't want to hurt you…I didn't want you to be sad because we can't have another baby…I just…just didn't want to disappoint you…"

"Are you sick?" she wondered aloud. She ran her hand across his forehead and down to his cheekbone. He sighed deeply and sniffled. Isabella toyed with his ear a little bit, and then ran her hand down his neck. It made him feel a little better that she wasn't expressing her pain, but he still knew she felt it. He placed his hand on her hip and sighed again. "Infection? Something?"

"No," he shook his head. "It's not anything like that. It's the shock from the injury. They don't know if I'll ever recover."

After a short moment of silence, Isabella said softly, "Thank you."

"For what?" Phineas frowned. She looked down. He cupped her cheek once more and stroked it with his thumb.

"For telling me the truth," she said, looking back into his eyes with a sad smile.

* * *

**He also said he was sad but had died of cuteness. Is that a compliment? **

**Next Chapter...Perry**


	9. Ice Cream Battle Royale

**I've had a request for Doof to make more appearances. I hope this counts as a good one...-AJ**

* * *

Perry

Perry never thought he'd be feeling the sensation of his brain screaming outside of his freaky dreams. He couldn't have been more wrong. As he pinched the bridge of his bill, he wanted to smack the laughter right out of Doof's mouth.

"Maybe next time you won't drink a milkshake that fast and then proceed to eat a tub of ice cream at the same rate," he chuckled. "Do you want some acetaminophen?"

"I want to hurt you," Perry said through gritted teeth. He opened his eyes and gave Doof a hard glare. Picking up his spoon, he scooped more ice cream into his mouth and groaned. His head was killing him.

"Do you have any common sense?" Doof said, trying hard to keep his laughter low. He handed Perry a napkin and shook his head. "You're going to make it worse; you really don't have to keep doing this, I was joking."

"I can do it!" Perry said grouchily. He finished up the bowl of ice cream and reached for an ice cream sandwich. Early that evening, Doof had challenged him to eat as much ice cream as he could in four hours. He'd already finished fifteen large milkshakes, two tubs of ice cream, and several boxes worth of ice cream bars. He still had fifteen minutes.

"At what point did consuming this much ice cream become okay in his life?" Ferb sighed, keeping his eye on the clock. He was watching the time so that he could tell Perry when to stop.

"I'm not actually sure," Doof shrugged. "I can't wait until Major Monobrow sees this video!"

"Thif _wha_?" Perry paused, his mouth filled with sandwich. Doof blinked and turned a little red with embarrassment. "Thif if _not_ ofer, Heith Doofensmirth!"

"Tick tock," Ferb rolled his eyes, tapping his wrist. Perry growled a little and started to shove more sandwiches down his own throat. Ferb grimaced and furrowed his brow. "You make me sick, Perry…"

"I think it's rather amusing," Doof smiled, placing his hands on his hips. "A prestigious secret agent indulging himself in more ice cream than even a human would dare to consume—it makes my day. Of course, it doesn't take much for him to get a sugar rush."

"Pardon?" Ferb frowned.

"Oh, nothing," Doof chuckled. "Time check?"

"Ten minutes," Ferb blinked.

"I think you're going to need another box," Doof noted. He pulled out another big box of ice cream sandwiches and opened it. Pulling out the first sandwich, he used the scissors he'd retrieved from the kitchen earlier to cut it open and hand it to Perry. He did this with several more.

"If he isn't sick after this…" Ferb whistled.

Neither Perry nor Doof paid him any attention. Of course, Perry knew the answer before it had even been asked. Yes, yes he would be. Between the brain freeze and the stomachache, he was going to make sure his brother and nemesis knew the meaning of challenge when he was done. He continued to force himself to down more of the ice cream sandwiches while the clock sped along. At the end of ten minutes, Perry took the last sandwich is his hand and glared at Doof.

"Aw, one more and you would have started another box," Doof sighed. He crossed his arms. "Well, I think that was enough ice cream for _you_."

"Oh, yeah?" Perry narrowed his eyes. He looked at the sandwich, and then back to his brother. There was only one option left. Leaping out of his chair, he forced it down Doof's throat. "That's for the brain freeze!"

"Perry, can we not—" Ferb started, but Doof cut him off.

"Hey, you _willingly_ ate all of that ice cream, you can't blame me for your brain freeze!" he threw back.

"Yes, I can!" Perry retorted, grabbing another sandwich and shoving it in Doof's open mouth. "Maybe next time, you won't dare me to do something that gives me a splitting headache!"

"That's irrational!" Doof frowned. He picked up an open tub of chocolate chip mint and threw it in Perry's face.

"Can we please act like adults, you two?" Ferb moaned. Perry tossed an open ice cream bar at Ferb and then turned back to Doof. Removing the sticky treat from his shirt, Ferb sighed and went to leave the kitchen. He ended up slipping on a puddle of vanilla ice cream. "I'm not cleaning this up! Phineas will kill the both of you!"

"Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the—" Doof said, as Perry tossed two sandwiches into his mouth. "Pewwy fa pwadapuf, I waff tawking!"

"Ha, ha," Perry chuckled. Doof then knocked over a half-melted tub of butter pecan onto the floor and grabbed Perry's ankles. Before he knew what was happening, Perry was lying on his back in the puddle his nemesis had made. He leapt back to his feet and tackled Doof. "I was already covered with ice cream, what is your problem?"

"What is _your_ problem?" Doof shot back. They rolled past Ferb, knocking over a box of sandwiches onto him.

"Well…so much for staying out of this…" Ferb huffed. He looked up to see Candace walk in the threshold. Frowning, Ferb quickly stood up, what was solid of the sandwiches falling off of him. He didn't remember her needing to come over. Phineas had called him and asked if he could monitor his kids; he and Isabella had needed a night out, and Jamie was too tired, Doof was out of the question, and Perry was deemed to be mentally unstable. "Hi, Candace."

"Ferb, I have a very good question for you," she blinked. She placed her hands on his shoulders and bit her lip. "And I want you to think really hard about this before you answer."

"Candace," Ferb started. She put a finger to his lips. He blinked in annoyance.

"Could you please tell me," she said, "WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND HOLY IS GOING ON IN HERE?"

No sooner than the words had left mouth did a scoop of cake batter flavored ice cream come flying from Doof's general direction and slip down the front of her shirt. She shrieked from the cold. Ferb took a few steps back and waved for her to shut up.

"Candace, the kids are asleep!" Ferb, Perry, and Doof said in unison. She stopped screaming by covering her mouth with both of her hands. Once she was done screaming about the ice cream in her bra, she removed them and stared down at the two platypi with anger.

"Do you two have a death wish?" she grumbled. Doof cowered a little. She fixed her gaze on Perry. "Okay, you look awful."

"I feel awful," Perry groaned, clutching his stomach with one hand. Candace noted all of the empty ice cream containers littering Phineas' kitchen. She frowned down at Perry. He forced a smile, but it melted into a grimace. He started to shake a little. "I don't feel good at all."

"You only win if you keep it all down!" Doof cackled.

"Oh, shut up!" Perry said. He turned and grasped another ice cream sandwich.

"No, Perry the platypus!" Doof gasped. He dashed off, Perry close on his heels. "I don't want any more ice cream! I'll never dare you to do this again!"

"Come here and meet your doom!" Perry told him. He yanked Doof's tail and brought him to the floor. Shoving the sandwich down his nemesis' throat, he smirked and crossed his arms in victory. Doof flipped Perry over and sat on him, reaching for a handful of still-wrapped sandwiches. "Don't you _dare_!"

"I wonder how Phineas will react to knowing he's out of about five hundred dollars' worth of ice cream already," Candace hummed.

"Don't even get me started," Ferb sighed.

"Heinz Doofenshmirtz, I'm not kidding!" Perry shouted. Ferb and Candace looked down just in time to see Doof cram five ice cream sandwiches in Perry's mouth, paper still wrapped around them. Perry made a face. Doof narrowed his eyes and chuckled maniacally. That was when Perry's watch beeped. "Craff!"

Perry lifted his wrist communicator to see what was going on and saw his superior's disturbed expression. Sighing, Perry glared at Doof.

"Iff your hand fill in my mouf?" he managed. "I canf tell wiff all of fuh ife cweam you vust put in fere…"

"Yeah," Doof reddened. He removed his hand and forced Perry's mouth shut. "Swallow your food before you talk next time, though. I can't imagine Francis understanding you."

"Um…" Monogram said, clearing his throat. "Um, Agent P…intelligence from Agent T indicates…um…you know what, could you just clean the ice cream off, swallow that, and head to HQ?"

"Mm-hmm," Perry nodded. He reluctantly swallowed the sandwiches (paper and all) and ran off to take a quick five minute shower. He made sure to get all of the ice cream off before heading off down the shower entrance to the O.W.C.A.'s headquarters. Once he arrived, he was met with the grim expression of Major Monogram.

"Why do you look like you're in pain?" his boss asked him.

"Because I feel like I'm about to vomit," Perry returned, clutching his tight stomach. _Never again_, he thought. "What did you need me for, sir?"

"You know, that's not the first time I've called you and were covered in something disturbing…" Monogram mumbled. Perry's eyes widened. He didn't want that bag of chips opened. "But aside from your, ah, private life, there's an impending threat I think you should be aware of."

"Impending threat, sir?" Perry frowned.

"Agent T has been doing some surveillance of the action of the Mytax that seem to be bothering your family," Monogram said slowly. "I would have told you, but you're too close to the case. But, since you're going to possibly be directly affected by this, I thought I'd warn you and perhaps even let you work with Agent T."

"What's going on, sir?" Perry crossed his arms.

"The Mytax have sent your son to eliminate you and your daughter."

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun. Not again. **

**Next Chapter...Lay**


	10. A Traitor in Danville

**And back to that guy that everybody hates! -AJ**

* * *

Lay

Quisling couldn't believe that he'd agreed to help Jase find his father. On one hand, it was just stupid and he didn't have time to bother with this. On the other hand, Eclipse had contacted him and told him that it was time he made a move to kill both Perry and his sister Jamie, so this unmentioned "side mission" would go completely unnoticed and would be worth his time.

They walked down the streets of the Tri-State Area slowly. Jase wanted to take the human world in. He was such an odd creature. The half-Ankunin human, half platypus boy would point out something interesting every five feet. He was especially awed by the Googolplex Mall, and Quisling had to insist that didn't have time to stop and shop.

"You grew up in this place, Quisling?" Jase smiled.

"Yes, and I don't want to talk about it, kid," Lay sighed. He had wrongly assumed that being a three-year-old Jase would have matured more being half-platypus. "Let's just consider the task at hand. When we get to my old home, we have to kill my sister for being a dirty traitor."

"Stop lying," Jase waved a finger at him. "We both know that you want to kill her so that no other man can have her. Your Kyea morals shine through you that is for sure! The animal within in you is surprisingly very well suppressed!"

"Shut up, or I will force you to shut up myself," Quisling growled. Jase just chuckled and stopped talking. Something told him that the boy would have to die at some point, too, whether Eclipse liked it or not. He was far too annoying and not evil enough to stay in Quisling's good graces. They made it fifteen minutes before the boy leapt into another conversation.

"My mother always told me that true success did not come from what you had done with your hands," he hummed dramatically. "She said that it came from what you did with your heart."

"For an ex-Mytax, your mother sounds like a love-struck idiot," Quisling said, spitting onto the pavement. Jase ignored the insult and kept speaking.

"She was glaringly evil at first, but then her heart was melted by the charm of my father, she told me," Jase sighed. "It seems rather far-fetched, I might say—Semi was said to be 'The Angel of Death' for the Eclipsian Empire. It is hard to imagine an assassin of his caliber to be associated with love."

"And it's hard to imagine you spending more than fifteen minutes in silence," Quisling muttered.

"Yes, it is a strange love story," Jase said, staring off into the distance. He hummed a little tune to himself. "The assassin and the bad girl. They never really married, I do not think. He was told to leave her before they could. I wonder what the crime was. Why would Lady Eclipse split my parents apart like that?"

Quisling blinked. He knew why. Eclipse had told him that his father had had an affair with Exosphere as Semi. She had split the two apart because she did, for some reason unknown to Quisling, respect his father's marriage to his mother. It was some deeply rooted honor that must have come from the High Vampri's past as a Mystique royal house member. Not that he cared.

"This is truly a lovely place!" Jase grinned. "We should visit here more often! I do like it here!"

"We go where we're ordered to go, kid," Quisling said through gritted teeth. He folded his hands behind his back and kept walking. "If we don't get another mission here, then we won't return. That's how our life works. We work on the schedule of Empress Eclipse and no one else. Not even our own."

"Seems a bit lacking in the freedom area," Jase huffed.

"Do you want to die?" Quisling stopped and face the kid, putting his face close to Jase's. "Do you have a death wish? You can't just tell Eclipse what you want and expect to get it. Yes, she can be very, very gracious, but it comes with time. I wanted my sister dead years ago. I've had to wait for her timing to be perfect. I can't just go and do whatever I wish and expect her to fulfill my wants and desires. Freedom is what allows people to think they deserve not to be ruled and run."

"I question this ideology," Jase murmured.

"Why don't you keep your little questions to yourself, Jase X?" Quisling raised one side of his brow. The kid didn't respond. "Your lack of respect for a superior being like me is particularly unnerving. I find your disrespect distasteful."

"And I find your dominance distasteful!" Jase returned smugly. Quisling felt his fur bristle at this.

"I don't know _what_ universe you think you live in," he spat, "but in the Alterverse, I am higher than you on the caste because you are a filthy little mix-breed of lesser creatures and have no immortal blood flowing through your veins!"

"Threaten me all you want," Jase waved a hand dismissively. He continued walking. They turned onto Maple Street. Only a few yards and they'd be at his uncle's house. "I know your secret. You are a Xolviak. I can use this information against you. You do not want this to happen, now do you?"

Quisling could feel a throbbing in his skull. Was it his heartbeat as he considered the impacts of Eclipse discovering his secret? Or was it just the ticking annoyance of his blood pressure rising the more Jase spoke? He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Taking a deep breath, he turned and continued down the sidewalk.

"Just as I thought," Jase chuckled under his breath, still loud enough for Quisling to hear. "You will never risk the possibility of Empress Eclipse discovering that you were unwillingly demoted."

He ignored the kid. Of course, Jase was right. The fear of being demoted made Quisling's body shiver. Glaring ahead, he started to count the house numbers in his head. Ignoring Jase's attempts at asserting his dominance was easier done if he had something else to concentrate on. He focused on how he would kill his sister. Would he allow it to be a quick death or would it be torture? There were, after all, so many options.

"What number house are we looking for?" Jase sighed, stopping in his tracks and staring with a frown at a yellow house with a brown roof. "Is it this one here? Two-three-zero-eight Maple Drive?"

"No, no, no," Lay shook his head. He glanced at the house he used to live in. "That's where my grandparents live, you dolt! We're looking for my _parents_' house."

Brushing past Jase, he crossed his arms. The kid would never know why looking at the old house bothered him so. Not that it mattered. He continued down the street a few minutes before stopping and staring at the two-story house before him. He grinned evilly and cackled a little. "Guess who's home, mortal scum."

* * *

**Have I made him an unreasonably sick character? I get the feeling he's just...sick.**

**Next Chapter...Jamie**


	11. Flight

**Time for the action to get going...well, not the action so much as the actual important plot...you know what, I'm just gonna shut up. -AJ**

* * *

Jamie

Jamie sat up rapidly in bed and drew in her breath sharply. Her pupils contracted, her pulse quickened, and butterflies filled her stomach. She was clutching the sheets in her hands so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. Blinking in the sunlight, she looked around her room and realized she was awake. She let out her breath and sighed deeply. Matthew sat up beside her and touched her arm gently.

"What's wrong, baby?" he frowned.

"I dreamt that…oh…it was nothing," she shook her head. He gave her an inquisitive look. "Oh, alright. I dreamt that you died a horrible death…and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I mean…I wasn't even…even there!"

"Jamie, it was just a dream," Matthew told her calmly. He nuzzled his bill against hers and chattered softly. She steadied her breathing. "I'm right here. I'm alive. And you're right next to me, just in case something bad were to happen."

The door to their bedroom was slammed open to reveal a much panicked looking Perry, who was also covered in ice cream from head to toe. He was out of breath. Jamie and Matthew blinked in his direction. Holding up one finger, he caught his breath and stood up to his full height.

"Something very, very bad is about to happen," Perry managed.

"Does it have to do with your being covered in vanilla ice cream?" Jamie lifted her brow.

"Butter pecan," Perry crossed his arms.

"I'm sorry?" Jamie frowned.

"It's _butter pecan_," Perry stressed. "Now, Jamie, get out of bed and come with me. I have something super important to tell you. And Matthew can't be present. Sorry, son, but this is a father-daughter conversation."

"Fine, butter pecan," Matthew huffed. He and Jamie shared a quick kiss. She crawled out of bed and followed her dad. Perry took her up into his own bedroom and locked the door.

"Um, Dad, where are you going with this?" Jamie swallowed. She hated not trusting her own father in a bedroom, but after Lexi's conception, she simply couldn't help it. Pressing her back to the door, she frowned at her father.

"No, no, not even what was on my mind!" Perry waved his hands. He walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. She swallowed again. "Look, baby girl, we have to get out of here!"

"What?" Jamie blinked.

"You heard me," Perry said, staring deep into her eyes. "We, meaning the two of us, are in imminent danger, and we have to leave. Now. Me and you. Leave Danville and the surrounding Tri-State Area. Right this moment."

"We have kids, we can't just leave them here!" Jamie insisted. "I mean, could you at least tell me what we're running from, super-secret-agent-man? Is it something you can't fight?"

"Something I _won't _fight," Perry murmured. He shook his head. "That's not the point though. Phineas, Isabella, Ferb, Matthew, Doof, Candace—they'll all take very good care of our kids and you know they will! I need you to just trust me on this, okay? If we don't run right now, we could both be dead in a matter of hours."

"From what?" Jamie persisted.

"Do you trust me, or are you going to keep resisting?" Perry crossed his arms. "I am trying to save your life, here."

"And this threat won't kill my children?" Jamie put her hands on her hips. Perry stiffened a little. "Dad, if I didn't have kids of my own, I would willingly run away with you from this danger that I'm not allowed to know about. But the truth of the matter is that I can't leave my babies here to suffer. Especially Lexi! What is so important that I can't arrange for someone to watch her? And what about my husband? I can't tell him? Why can't we protect the whole family?"

"The whole family isn't in danger, Jamie!" Perry narrowed his eyes. She straightened at this. "If the whole family was in danger, I'd find a way to move the whole family. But they aren't, so I'm only removing the two in danger from the situation."

"Dad, we need time to think this through!" Jamie said, flustered.

"I have thought this through, Jamie Marie Flynn!" Perry shouted. She could see tears starting to form in the corners of his eyes. "I spent all night thinking about the fact that my daughter is being targeted and I don't want another person I love dearly to die on my account!"

Jamie watched the tears leak out of her father's eyes. She pulled him into a tight hug and kept her rebuttal to herself. Phineas had told her last night that Perry was going through an emotional that she wouldn't understand. She rubbed his back and let him cry for a while on her shoulder.

"Do we have to go now?" she whispered.

"We really should…" Perry muttered.

"Is there anything we should take with us?" Jamie asked him.

"No," Perry shook his head. "We should head for Nepoçie, and from there we can determine what we need."

"How long will we stay for?" Jamie said, looking away.

"I don't know," Perry answered honestly.

There was not much more conversation after that. Perry took her out of the house through one of the entrances to the O.W.C.A. and showed her that he'd 'borrowed' Phineas' Retropelet. That was their ticket to her mother's home planet.

She wanted to know what they were running from, but she was scared to ask. Her father was clearly moved with fear for her loss. Whatever the doom might be, Jamie was certain that if he was scared, she had every right to be terrified. She kept her head about herself, though, feeling as two broken persons would only make their flight more difficult.

Once they arrived on Nepoçie, Perry took her quickly into the safety of the forest. Amoyx was dangerous, for that was where Arven lived, ready to kill any Flynn that stepped foot in her land. They ran for a few minutes in silence and stopped in a clearing. Jamie tossed herself on the ground panting. She rolled over and clutched her heart with her hand.

"There…" Perry said, catching his breath. "We should be far enough away from Paix to be found by Arven's soldiers. If we stay away from the main cities, we should be safe…uh…Jamie?"

Perry knelt down beside his daughter and placed one hand on her forehead. He frowned. She looked up at him and smiled. Her fur was sticky from sweat. Jamie reached for her father's face with one hand and stroked his cheek. He looked into her eyes with slight confusion.

"What's the matter, baby girl?" he whispered. She could tell that he noticed something was up with her. He could tell when anything was different about her, even if he couldn't tell what it was. Perry slipped his fingers under her hand and pressed his palm to her heart. It was racing like a train. "What aren't you telling me?"

Jamie just laughed a little. She couldn't run the risk of telling him now. Her father was in too frazzled of a state to receive any shocking information, and it was early, anyways. Besides, she was the only one that knew. She had told no one, mostly because she had been scared that she was in danger again.

"Not gonna tell me?" Perry cocked his head.

"I'm an open book, Dad," she blinked mischievously. He helped her up to her feet. Shaking his head, he sighed and placed his hands on her shoulders. "You okay?"

"Ten years has just flown by," he whispered. "I remember the day I first held you…so small…so fragile…"

"Dad, is now really the time to get nostalgic?" Jamie laughed.

"I can't help it," Perry shrugged. Jamie blushed. "You know it's funny when you think about it—my life used to be so different. But then I found true love and you know the rest!"

"Oh, do I?" Jamie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yes," Perry smiled. "Well, it's not the story you'd expect, I mean, me and your mom; who would'a guessed? But it worked out and it was truly the best thing that has ever happened to me."

"You're telling me," she chuckled.

"And, oh, that feeling," he sighed, looking his daughter in the eyes. "When you first learn that you're going to be a parent…you're nervous, anxious, excited, joyous, terrified—all at the same time! When you hold your child for the first time, and your heart is stolen; all you want to do is buy the world for them."

"I know what you mean," Jamie nodded. At this, Perry got choked up and pulled her into a hug. "Dad…Dad, are you okay?"

"So much has happened in ten years," he sniffled. He started crying. "I still can't believe that I have five grandchildren."

"Oh, Dad," Jamie sighed. She patted his back as he vented his feelings through pathetic sobbing. Perry clutched her tightly and shook as if he were terrified. "Okay, Daddy, everything is going to be okay, I promise. There's nothing wrong with being a grandfather."

"Just you wait," Perry managed. "Wait until it's your turn, then you'll get it!"

"Hopefully not anytime soon," Jamie giggled. They pulled apart and she smiled at him. He wiped away the tears and returned her smile with one of his own. "Well, should we get about setting up a temporary shelter? It looks like it's going to rain later."

"Yeah, I suppose we should get about doing that," Perry agreed. He walked off and searched for adequate supplies. Jamie went in a different direction. She didn't know what could be used for shelter, but there had to be something that she could find. What they needed wasn't shelter, though; if her father was right to be terrified of this threat, what they really needed was protection. If only she knew what the threat was, then she could know what kind of protection she needed.

Which gave her an idea. A crazy, beautiful idea.

* * *

**What is Jamie not telling Perry?**

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	12. Peculiar Absence

**Back on Earth... -AJ**

* * *

Phineas

"FERB!" Phineas shouted at the top of his lungs. His brother ran into the room from the kitchen with a frazzled expression on his face. Phineas waved him over and sat down on the floor. "Ferb, quick!"

"What's wrong, Phineas?" Ferb said, sitting down beside him. Phineas' daughter, Danielle, was toddling around on the carpet. He picked her up and sat her down in his lap, smiling at his stepbrother.

"Nothing's wrong, Ferb, but you have to watch this!" he said excitedly. Ferb raised his eyebrows. "Hey, Dani, why don't you show Uncle Ferb what you just showed me? Show Uncle Ferb!"

The little girl giggled with delight and waved her hands around wildly. At first, nothing happened, but suddenly, her hands burst into flames from the agitation, causing Ferb to jump a little. Dani stopped moving her hands and laughed loudly at her uncle's response.

"Ferb, she's got my powers!" Phineas said, grinning from ear to ear. Ferb chuckled and shook his head in amusement. He tickled his daughter's belly and she shrieked with laughter. "Who's daddy's little pyro?"

Phineas let her go, and she ran about the room happily. She experimented with her newfound powers as she went. The brothers shared a laugh. Watching his daughter always put a smile on his face. He waved for her to come over to him. When she did, he opened his left palm and held a steady flame in his hand. Dani freaked out, apparently very impressed with her dad's trick.

"I thought for sure she'd get Isabella's powers," Phineas said, still keeping his eyes glued to his daughter's priceless expression. She clapped her chubby hands together and cheered. He made the fire dance around for her.

"Don't let Isabella catch you playing with fire around her," Ferb joked. Phineas rolled his eyes.

"C'mon, she's fireproof, like me," he returned.

"Fair enough," Ferb sighed.

"Besides, you don't think she doesn't trust me with fire, do you?" Phineas lifted one eyebrow. He paused. "Wow, I've never thought about that, Ferb. I mean, I know that she knows I can manipulate fire in any way that I want, but do you think she trusts that manipulation? Gosh, Ferb, have I been terrifying her at all, do you think? I wouldn't want to do that to her."

"You'd have to ask her yourself," Ferb pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right," Phineas nodded. He stood back up and looked around. "Hey, I just noticed a severe lack of Perry. And…oddly enough, Jamie."

"That doesn't mean they're not here," Ferb reminded him.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to go see where they are," Phineas said. He walked to the threshold of the room before turning back around to his brother. "I'll only be a minute or so. I just want to ease my conscious. I've usually seen them by now, if not at breakfast, you know?"

"It's alright," Ferb reassured him. "I'll watch Dain, Devin, and Jacob."

"Thanks, Ferb," Phineas smiled. He first searched the first floor. A few of Perry's kids were in the kitchen making a mid-morning snack. Alysson and Aiden, Jamie's oldest children, were quietly drawing in the dining room. Omega, another of Jamie's children, was in Phineas' study poring over encyclopedias. The mud room was empty, although suspicious muddy footprints dirtied the floor. No Perry or Jamie on the first floor.

Next, he tried the basement. There wasn't much in his basement—just a large open room, a pantry, and a half bath. Those were devoid of any platypuses. He ran back to the main floor and headed for the stairs. Zexovani, or Zen, and his quintuplet brother Hexolav, slid down the staircase. Phineas shook his head. Even if they were two of Perry's first five children, they were still big babies on the inside.

Upstairs, Phineas checked all of the bedrooms. Several of Perry's kids were in their respective rooms, and Matthew was asleep in his and Jamie's. Lexi was asleep in her crib. His wife was absent, though. Phineas checked his own bedroom, and his children's bedroom, just in case, but both were empty. At last, he opened the door to Perry's bedroom and poked his head inside. Apart from a puddle of ice cream, the room was vacant. Well, he hoped it was vanilla ice cream.

The only other places left to check were the attic (no platypuses present there), the roof (not a soul), and the backyard (where Doof was chilling in the pool with Darren, but no one else). Phineas even checked the front yard and porch for good measure, but those were also lacking in Perry and Jamie. He returned to his living area perplexed.

"Ferb, they're just not here!" he exclaimed. His stepbrother looked up at him curiously and hummed. "I've checked everywhere in the house and around it. They're just not here. I dare say they're at the O.W.C.A., but Jamie quit during her first pregnancy. So Perry might be there, but then where would Jamie be?"

"Jamie can go places with her husband," Ferb suggested.

"No, Matthew is upstairs asleep," he frowned. "So that's out of the question. Any other suggestions?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ferb shrugged.

"Let me think," Phineas hummed. He paced back and forth across the floor. "Where would Jamie go by herself? Her kids are here. Her husband's here. She has no job to go to. What else does Jamie do?"

"She hangs out with her uncle right?" Ferb blinked.

"Which one?"

"Xhirxhti's brother."

"Oh! Maybe so!" Phineas snapped his fingers. He smiled, content with the answer. "Yeah, I remember her saying something about going on missions and stuff like that. I don't know what they do, of course. Something about stealing back relics or some other thing like that."

"Perhaps you should pay more attention to those that live in your house," Ferb laughed jokingly.

"That does sound like a good idea," Phineas smiled. He sat back down next to Ferb. "Well, I guess if there's a reasonable reason for the both of them being absent, then we shouldn't worry about it. I mean, they can do whatever they want. They're both technically adults."

"I'm pretty sure you're the only one that was worried about their absence," Ferb rolled his eyes. "I wasn't in the least bit worried."

"Touché," Phineas raised his eyebrows. Something did make him wonder, though, if being worried were a better idea than not.

* * *

**Should they be more concerned with Perry and Jamie's absence? **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	13. Musings in the Silence

**I enjoyed writing this chapter. I've been challenged to get to chapter 24 before the 18th of this month. What do you think? Can I meet this goal? -AJ**

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Perry

The shelter that they'd built on their first day away from home had lasted them roughly three months. Large leaves of some plant unknown to Perry served as a great roof, and tree limbs held those up above their heads. Jamie was curled up in the corner of the space. She'd fallen asleep shortly after the rain had started, so Perry left her alone.

He wanted more than anything for Jamie to know why they'd fled from Earth. After all, she was technically on her brother's hit list. It was a fact that he didn't want to have her too worried; Lay had tried to kill her on several occasions, and this made her feeling for her quintuplet brother quite tense. Perry didn't enjoy the notion that his children hated one another enough to kill each other. Yet that was a trait that he could never control in his eldest.

It made him wonder where the boy had gotten the idea to kill his sister and father from. As far back as he could remember, he'd never mistreated Lay. He'd fed the boy, given him plenty of entertainment, and put a roof over his head. Never once had he ever favored any one child over the other—though, arguably, many of his kids might have seen his attention to Jamie as favoritism. Was that it? Were Jamie's misfortunes the catalyst of evil behaviors in her siblings?

Perry shuddered. He wasn't sure if it was the rain or if it was thinking about the cruel thoughts of his kids. Glancing over at Jamie, he sighed deeply. She seemed too content for a fugitive. Granted, she didn't know why she was a fugitive, nor did she understand the danger she was in. If Lay found them, it would be a battle that Perry simply did not want to fight. The boy would stop at nothing to see his sister's dead body, but could Perry fight his own son to save his daughter's life? One way or another, he feared that if he found them, someone's blood would be shed.

He sat at the edge of the shelter and stared out into the alien rain. Rain on Nepoçie was no different than rain on Earth. Perry was unsure as to why he'd assumed it would be any different. Xhirxhti had set that record straight the first time she'd brought him to her home planet. Sighing, he smiled at the memory. Being here made her a more frequent thought in his head.

"I need your knowledge of this crazy world…" he whispered into the air. He could see his breath. Unlike the United States, Amoyx was just getting into its cold season. The winter air was chilling. Perry removed two blankets from his fedora; one he laid over Jamie's sleeping figure, and the other he wrapped tightly around himself.

Thunder rolled in the distance. He wondered then if it would snow. Did it snow here? Perry wished he could remember. He'd never seen snow on this planet, but that wasn't proof that it never snowed. The Kyea wouldn't have a word for snow if they'd never seen or experienced it, he reasoned.

Perry watched the wind blow through the leaves of the bushes and trees surrounding them. Away from the cities and villages, this world looked like a world of peace. No one thing deemed to bother another, and everything in this wild forest lived together in harmony. He sighed again.

"Is this the Nepoçie your father knew?" he said, barely audible. He blinked. Xhirxhti's father had died trying to remove the caste system from Amoyx. Her mother had murdered him. Perry had never gotten a chance to meet him, but the way his wife had talked of the first king of Amoyx, he knew that he must have been a great man. Perry felt a shiver run down his spine. "Perhaps not. You said he lived in a tumultuous time. What peace could exist like this in a time like that?"

Tucking his feet under himself, he leaned up against a tree trunk that was covered by the leaf roof. He hadn't thought through what he and Jamie would do for a year on their own. Yes, a year. He planned to stay hidden for a year before returning to Earth. Lay would give up his search after a year, surely. If he continued after that, Perry assumed that their fight would be inevitable.

Behind him, Jamie stirred in her sleep. He frowned. Earlier, he'd seen a look in her eyes that he'd only seen a few times before. It made him nervous. Jamie was keeping something from him, and he wanted to know what. When she kept secrets, it never turned out to be good. The last time she'd kept a secret, well, when she'd told him, he'd learned just how big of a jerk he really was. It was no wonder that Jamie tensed every time he brushed against her.

Perry stared out into the distance. There was nothing but foliage for miles and miles. He suspected that there were animals, or Saiteru, as the Kyea called them, living in the brush and the trees. They wouldn't be bothering him and his daughter that was for sure. The only time he'd ever even seen an animal of Nepoçie was when he and Xhirxhti were called to Amoyx the last time. It had run off, afraid of the noisy beings approaching.

"What a quiet world…" he hummed to himself. His life was so full of noise. With thirty-six children, it was only late at night that he would find his world void of loud noises. There were still small noises, like cars out in the street, crickets chirping into the night, and the breathing of everyone that was asleep. Nepoçie had none of this. There was just a silence that enveloped everything. It was almost a vacuum. A dead, cold, unforgiving vacuum.

A moan escaped from Jamie's mouth. Perry looked over to see her sitting up. She smiled up at him and wrapped her blanket around herself before coming to sit beside him. A shiver shook her body. He watched her with curiosity. Perry had to admit—she was taking this much better than he'd assumed she would. She wasn't giving a fuss or anything.

"Did you have a good nap?" he asked her.

"Yes, thanks," she said, slightly nodding her head. She took a deep breath and released it. The fog of her breath curled around her bill and floated forward until it disappeared into the air. "It's so quiet…it's almost…"

"Too quiet," Perry said for her. She looked down into her lap a moment. Perry noted the action. It was peculiar for her to do such a thing just out of nowhere. He watched as she quickly looked back up at the rainy world around them.

"How long do we plan on staying here?" she asked, blinking.

"Jamie," Perry sighed. She frowned at looked at him. She instantly changed the topic.

"Dad, you look like the world has been weighing on your shoulders," she said quietly. Perry turned to his daughter and their eyes locked. Jamie reached out one hand and ran her finger under his right eye. "There are lines under your eyes."

Perry laughed softly. He shook his head and stared out into the rain. "Jamie, it's age, sweetie. I really do look younger than I should."

"I don't understand," Jamie tilted her head.

"Of course not," Perry sighed. "You're immortal and maintain your youth. Just like your mother. Your uncles age at a slower pace than I do. My brothers were old when you met them. They're close to their ends. It's only because of your mother that I look as young as I do…"

"So…what you're saying is that age does this to mortals?" Jamie frowned. She traced the lines under his eyes. "How do you live knowing this?"

"We appreciate life more because of it," Perry swallowed. He smiled in her direction. "We know that these bodies shrivel away…we know our time is limited…we break down, and we don't have any way to reverse this. We only have so much time, thus we treasure it."

"So…you just start having these lines on your face?" Jamie asked.

"More than that, Jamie," Perry said, resisting the urge to laugh. "Lines under my eyes are just a small part. Wrinkles happen in more than one place, you know. Plus, your hair loses color and your bones start to ache."

Perry put one hand to the side of his face. Jamie was right, even if she didn't notice. He _was_ pretty old. The average platypus had a life span of about nine years. He was sixteen. If Xhirxhti hadn't been toying with his longevity, he would have most likely died before Semi had even happened. Perry pressed his back all the way against the tree and gasped a little.

"Daddy?" Jamie leaned towards him a little.

"We need a new topic," he said quickly. Why did it bother him so that he'd realized he was aging abnormally? The most logical answer is his mortality. Outliving the lifespan he was meant to have from a biological standpoint gave his heart an involuntary leap.

"Okay," Jamie said slowly. "Well, I've had this idea. Ya know, since we got here, actually, I just…I needed some time to think over the gravity of my idea."

"Oh?" Perry lifted his brow. Would Jamie finally tell him what was going on with her? He sat forward in anticipation and felt a dull pain in the small of his back. Groaning, he tried to ignore it. "What kind of an idea?"

"Well, we're doing nothing up here," Jamie frowned.

"Sitting is something," Perry raised his brow.

"You know what I mean, Dad!" she crossed her arms. He chuckled and waved for her to continue. "Anyways, I was thinking—mom's older brother said that the Dracias people may have gone into hiding in the deeper parts of an Amoyxn forest. He said my grandfather, Wynkynx Eqon, told them that it was the best place of refuge. What if they're still there?"

"What, you want to go looking for dragon-people?" Perry blinked at her. "Jamie, they're dragons. They might eat small mammals."

"Not if those small mammals have something they really want," Jamie smiled. Perry waited. She pulled one hand out of her blanket and showed him a jewel unlike any other he'd ever seen. The crystalline surface seemed to encase swirling, colorful light. He rubbed his eyes and blinked at the gem. It was embedded in silver and was attached to a long chain.

"Is this…?" Perry breathed.

"The Amulet of Kuzo," Jamie nodded. "The dragon-king's haven for souls."

"I think," Perry thought aloud, "that we might be able to get help."

* * *

**Thoughts on the musings of Perry? How their plan will go? **

**Next Chapter...Lay**


	14. The Violent Side

**This chapter was fun to write; the description, that is. -AJ**

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Lay

Quisling looked out over the horizon, adjusting some tight joints on his right arm with a small screwdriver. He glanced back at Jase. The boy was doing nothing of use. The past three months with him had been annoying. It had all started when they'd marched in the front door of his uncle's house…

The front door slammed against the wall and Quisling made his way into the open living area. His uncles, Phineas and Ferb, were sitting on the floor with his cousins Dani, Devin, and Jacob. His sister, Zoe, walked in and tensed up at seeing him. Phineas stood up, quietly told Zoe to take his kids out of the room, and walked over to the intruder.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Legolas Flynn," Phineas crossed his arms. Ferb stood and came over beside his stepbrother. "What do _you_ want?"

"I'm not here for you," Quisling spat. He realized too late that the mesh covering his face prevented him from spitting, and that he'd basically just spit on himself. He cleared his throat and clenched his fists. "Where are Perry and Jamie?"

"I honestly don't know," Phineas told him. Several of Quisling's siblings poked their heads around the corner. His quintuplet brothers, Zen and Hex, came and stood behind their uncles.

"Lay, this is ridiculous!" Zen frowned. He brushed past Phineas' leg and jabbed his brother in the chest. "You need to get over yourself! You've got no right to want to threaten any of our family!"

"Don't push my buttons, little brother," Quisling growled, pushing Zen's hand away as if he found it revolting. "I don't have time for this. I was sent to collect Perry and Jamie. The rest of you are irrelevant to this mission."

"Like we'd let you have them!" Hex huffed.

"Yeah, what he said!" Zen nodded. Quisling took one step forward, but Zen held his hands up and created a small forcefield with his Hej. Chuckling, Quisling used his Hej to make the obstacle permeable. He grasped the scruff of Zen's neck and grinned evilly.

"You're asking for it, little brother," he said smoothly.

"WE'RE THE SAME AGE!" Zen shouted. He let loose a burst of raw Hej, sending Quisling across the room. He was able to quickly right himself and charge towards his enraged brother. Zen grew knives out of his hands and swiped one across his brother's cheek. The blade sliced through his soft skin and he gasped. Blood began to trickle down his face, soaking through the mesh.

"That's it, you little punk," Quisling said under his breath. He couldn't allow Zen to make a stab at any of his mechanical components. If those were discovered, he'd not only be the laughingstock of the battle, but his technopath uncle would be able to shut him down. He slipped out his katana and waved it around.

"Oh, I see," Zen narrowed his eyes. He extended the length of his knives. "You want a _real_ fight."

Quisling rushed his brother and the steel clashed together. He swiped under, but Zen quickly blocked with one knife and swiped for his head with the other. Bending backwards, Quisling was able to avoid the blow, twist around, remove a second katana, and thrust across his brother's stomach. Zen flipped over his head and landed behind him.

"We don't have to do this," Zen furrowed his brow. Quisling jerked around, both swords slashing across Zen's front. He stepped back. "Fighting is pointless!"

"Then surrender and die!" Quisling returned, spinning the hilts of his katana. They were met by Zen's knives just above their heads. For a moment, they simply pressed as hard as they could, each trying to get the other to lose his grip. To ensure that his brother didn't have an advantage, Quisling melded the hilts of his weapons to his own hands. Their arms started to shake under the pressure.

"Never!" Zen shouted. He knocked Quisling's katana aside and jabbed for his throat. Quickly, the traitorous brother lifted his weapons to keep from having his throat slit open. Gasping, he shoved his brother's blades apart and jabbed one into the soft spot between the shoulder and the chest. Zen yelped. "Legolas! Please don't kill me! I'm your brother!"

"You think that matters?" Quisling narrowed his eyes. Hearing his real name only incensed him more. He pressed the blade all the way through Zen's flesh and into the wall behind him. Releasing the hilt, he shoved the other one under his left armpit to balance him out. He placed his hands on his hips and smiled at his brother. "Ah, my first taste in satisfaction will be crushing your little heart."

"Lay, think about what you're doing," Zen swallowed, trying to ignore the pain in his right shoulder. The knives in his hands melted away and he tried to pull himself off of the blade. Quisling wouldn't let him, though. He took his right hand and thrust it into the left side of Zen's chest. The boy blanched at this gruesome use of Hej. "L-Legolas…p-please…"

"Look at you," Quisling locked eyes with Zen. He closed his fingers around his brother's rapidly beating heart. The pulses tried hard to press against his hand and work at their full potential. His brother gasped and tried to reach to remove Quisling's hand. The villain chuckled. "Being immortal doesn't make you invincible, now does it?"

"What did we ever…ever do to you?" Zen asked, his body shaking with fear. Sweat was beading at his temples.

"You know what the hardest part of this is, they say?" Quisling stared deep into Zen's fear-filled eyes, ignoring the question he'd posed. He tightened his grip on Zen's heart and watched his brother's body shudder involuntarily. "They say the hardest part is watching someone who loves you stare into your soul and beg for their life."

"And…is…is it?" Zen gasped.

"Not at all," Quisling grinned. "Burn in Hell, brother."

"Legolas, no!" Hex screamed from behind him. It was already too late, though. Quisling crushed his brother's heart with as much force as he could. Zen gave one last cry of pain and fell limp. Blood started to pour down Quisling's arm. He removed it from Zen's chest cavity and didn't bother to clean his gore-soaked arm before turning to the remaining persons in the room. Hex ran out, shouting profanities to no one in particular. Doof had walked in and was staring with morbid horror at the corpse of his nephew on the wall. Phineas and Ferb took a few steps back.

"Now…" Quisling turned, glaring fiercely at his uncles. "Where's Perry?"

"I…I told you we don't know," Phineas stammered. Quisling waved to Jase, who scurried over and blinked.

"Get me four doses of imobu," he demanded. Jase hurriedly reached into his jacket and removed two needles with a glowing white liquid in them. Phineas noticed them and stepped back. Imobu, unbeknownst to Phineas and Ferb, was a Kyea war drug that rendered one temporarily unable to use their Hej. By injecting this into their blood streams, Phineas would be unable to escape or burn through any bonds and Ferb would be unable to dismantle him once he noticed that he was half machine. He went for Ferb first. He lunged forward and planted the first needle in Ferb's calf muscle.

"Ferb!" Phineas exclaimed. He dropped to the ground and went to pull the needle from his brother's leg. Before he'd realized he'd been tricked into trying to help his brother, Quisling latched onto his arm and inserted the second needle into Phineas' most prominent vein. "What are you doing?!"

"Now, Jase," Quisling said, looking down to his distasteful partner. "These two I've just drugged and the one with the German accent."

"It's Drusselsteinian!" Doof objected. He couldn't get any other words out, though, as Jase quickly pointed a tranquilizer at him and fired a dart into his butt. Doof opened his mouth to respond, but he fell over unconscious.

Jase then turned and shot a dart at both Phineas and Ferb, and they also quickly fell down to the ground. Quisling crawled off of Phineas and beckoned for his partner to duct tape the three together.

"Tell me again why we are doing this? I thought we were here to kill your sister," Jase frowned.

"They're not lying," Quisling sighed. "I know them too well to know when they are, and they're not. So if they won't reveal where Perry and Jamie are, then we'll just have to take them with us. Once my father realizes that I have three of the most important people to him captive, he'll come out of hiding..."

Of course, he'd said that three months ago. They'd searched all over Danville and the Tri-State Area, but there was no sign of the two. Quisling had even dared to search Gonarish territory. Naturally, no one had heard anything about them nor seen them since the day before he'd arrived at the Flynn household. He paced around in front of his captives.

"Should we try another planet?" Jase suggested. Quisling shot him a look that shut him up.

"Just give the two humans another double dose of imobu, please, we really don't want them using their powers," he sighed. Jase nodded and proceeded to give Phineas and Ferb their respective doses of the drug. Once they'd realized what the drug did, they had been more than upset with their nephew.

"You'll never find them, Lay, give up!" Phineas furrowed his brow. He struggled against his duct tape bonds. Ferb and Doof gave him a look for moving and causing the adhesive tape to rub against their already raw arms. "Perry and Jamie don't want to be found, clearly! If they wanted you to find them, you would!"

Upon hearing this, Quisling walked over to Phineas and slammed his mechanical fist into his jaw. The man didn't sound as if he were too bothered with it, even though Quisling knew that his punch must have hurt something awful. Phineas spit blood onto his captor's front. Quisling blinked with annoyance.

"That will get you nowhere, Phineas Flynn," Quisling huffed.

"And neither will searching this planet!" Phineas retorted. He blinked and stopped talking. Quisling hummed in thought. It seemed as if Phineas thought Perry had left Earth. Only one planet could have sparked his fancy—Nepoçie.

* * *

**Lay is working his way to being my top villain...**

**Next Chapter...Jamie**


	15. Royal Shock

**On to some cool stuff! -AJ**

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Jamie

They'd been walking for several hours at this point. It had been a few weeks since they'd decided to come searching for the legendary Dracias people. Jamie insisted that they not give up hope searching, as returning Kuzo's Amulet might earn them a bit of protection, and even if her dad refused to tell her what it was that they were running from, she was determined not to let it catch them. She had her reasons, of course.

"Jamie, are you _certain_ that we'll find dragon-people in this forest?" Perry said, sounding as if he were out of breath. Jamie turned around and waited for her dad. How was it that he was more tired than her? When he had caught up to her, he placed one hand on her shoulder and sighed. "I don't think so…"

"I have complete faith that Kuzo and his people are still alive," Jamie crossed her arms. She blinked at him. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm a little thirsty, so I suggest you don't test my restraint right now."

Perry straightened up and removed his hand from her shoulder. Deep down inside, she'd found it funny that he was unnerved by her bloodthirst. On the outside, thought, she was trying hard not to express how upset it really made her. She didn't like having to tell people to mind their distance, but after consuming several gallons of blood to keep Lexi alive before birth, she was all the more attracted to the scent of iron that filled the red life flow.

"Sorry," Perry frowned apologetically. He tensed up. "I've got a bottle of water in my fedora if you need…ya know…something to quench your thirst."

"It's not exactly the same, Dad," Jamie sighed.

"My apologies," he swallowed.

"Okay," Jamie rolled her eyes. She stared at her dad's blank expression for a moment before continuing her statement. "We just have to keep looking. Dad, what if they might want to help us because we returned precious souls to them? Imagine how powerful of an ally a dragon could be!"

"Yes, I suppose—" Perry started, but he stopped short. He backed up a few paces. "Uh…Jamie…"

"See?" she smiled. "What kind of a threat could possibly face a dragon? They're powerful, ancient creatures. They know the Alterverse better than most anyone! It would take a lot to bring them down."

"Jamie…" Perry bit the edge of his bill and stared up at something behind her.

"Dad, are you even listening to me?" Jamie huffed. She took a few steps towards him and placed her hands on her hips. "Did you hear what I just said? Dad. Seriously. Hello? Are you awake? I'm kind of talking to you right now!"

"Jamie…do turn around…" Perry whispered.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just do it," Perry ordered her.

"Fine," Jamie moaned. She turned herself around and her bill hit something very large and scaly. Blinking a little, she slowly lifted her gaze until she was almost looking straight above herself. A large head blocked out the sunlight. For some reason, she felt her heart skipping beats.

"I think we found a dragon…" Perry said under his breath. The creature lowered its head so that it could look Jamie in the eyes. She noted that its long body had no legs—just a pair of enormous wings that resembled an eagle's. Its scales were a turquoise blue mottled with green, and feathers of the same colors. Its eyes were easily the size of Jamie's own body. She could feel its hot breath in her fur. The overpowering scent of its blood sent chills down Jamie's spine.

"Oh…my…gosh…" Jamie managed. The dragon looked her in the eyes. Its irises were a golden burst of sunlight. Swallowing, Jamie reached out one hand, with the amulet in it, and held it out at arm's length for the beast to see. It let out a deep breath of warm air and pressed its nose to the shining object. "I…do you…recognize this? This is for your king…I found…I found it…and I want to return it…"

"How came you by this?" a deep, melodious voice came from the long throat of the dragon. His words were smooth and gentle, yet at the same time full of force that nearly knocked the wind out of her lungs.

"M-my uncle and I-I retrieved it from E-Eclipse's Earthen ar-archives," Jamie stammered. She noticed that her hand had begun to shake. The dragon opened his large mouth and brought it down to her hand. Ever so gently, he picked up the jewel between two of his teeth and removed it from her hand. He then pressed his snout into her tiny palm. "Will you give this to King Kuzo?"

The dragon let out a guttural laugh. It shook the trees around, but Jamie suddenly felt no fear in her soul. His laughter was encouraging. She smiled at this, and he stretched out his mighty wings. It was then that she noticed his tail was full of green feathers that flowed in a trail behind him.

"Little Vampri," he boomed, "I _am_ Kuzo!"

"How did you know I was a Vampri?" Jamie frowned.

"I know much more than that, Jamie Flynn," Kuzo hummed. He raised his head up into the air, keeping his eyes fixated on her small form. "I thank you for returning the souls of my fallen warriors. It was a valiant thing to do for a Vampri."

"What do you mean, _for a Vampri_?" Jamie crossed her arms.

"Never before has a Vampri aided our kind," Kuzo said, bowing his head apologetically. "Forgive me for assuming. I hope that I have not offered offence to you. It is not like one royal to degrade another."

"Pardon?" Jamie raised her brow.

"You have royal blood flowing through your veins," Kuzo told her. She blinked. He could sense everything about her. It was cool, to some degree, but it was also rather uncomfortable. He most likely knew her secrets…those weren't things she wanted anyone else to know. "It boasts to be Amoyxn in origin. You are the granddaughter of the queen, are you not?"

"What's it to you?" Jamie asked.

"Nothing, really," Kuzo admitted. He turned so that his long back twisted around a few trees and wrapped around the area in which Jamie and Perry were standing. He let out a loud roar that shook the forest floor. "You two must come with me. The Dracias Council must convene to determine your reward."

"Our…reward?" Jamie blinked. Kuzo nodded and slithered off, beckoning her to follow him. She turned to her father and frowned. He was still frozen in the same position that he'd been in when she'd first noticed the dragon-king's presence. She poked him in the chest. "Hey, Daddy. We, ah, we gotta go. Dad? Daddy?"

Perry then fainted on spot.

* * *

**I visualized this last part as I wrote it...and Perry...I couldn't help laughing. Hmm. **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


	16. Indecision

**Short chappie! -AJ**

* * *

Phineas

Phineas wasn't all too sure that Lay would go to Nepoçie. The boy expressed a desire to go search the planet immediately, but Jase, whoever he was, continued to insist that it was a trap set up by the captives. Sighing, Phineas leaned his head against Ferb's shoulder. They had been duct taped together for almost four months now, and since Lay was drugging them with some fluid that prevent Hej use, he couldn't burn through the duct tape to escape.

"If only he didn't have that stupid drug…" Phineas groaned.

"Oh, would your quit your whining?" Doof said sharply. He looked up at the two humans and frowned. "Whining won't get your powers back, and it certainly won't get us out of this predicament, so SHUT UP!"

"You shut up, Doctor D!" Phineas shot back. He looked over at the quarrelling villains and his eyebrows furrowed deeply. The first chance he got to make an escape, he would do it, super speed or no super speed. No one knew what had happened to them; he could only imagine how their family felt.

"I don't have to listen to you!" Doof grumbled. "You're not the boss of me. Besides, I don't have to talk to fill the space. I've got your big mouth to listen to!"

"If I could burn you, I would so do that right now," Phineas said through gritted teeth. "Did you know that you are the single most annoying creature in the universe? Did you know that?"

"Did you know that you're childish, overly optimistic, and a traitor to your own kind?" Doof huffed.

"Okay, now I want you to burn even more," Phineas narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, good luck with that!" Doof chuckled maniacally. "You couldn't even raise your body temperature by one degree right now because you're _on drugs_! Not so high and mighty without your precious powers, now are you?"

"Ferb, could you shift just enough so I can kick him?" Phineas asked. Ferb shook his head. "What, he's really bothering me right now!"

Lay walked over to the trio and glared at them. It bothered Phineas that the boy had never cleaned his brother's blood off of his mesh sleeve. The presence of the dried blood on his Lycra suit made him seem even more heartless than he already was. The boy locked eyes with Phineas.

"It has taken several weeks of discussion," he hummed.

"Why are you telling _me_ this?" Phineas raised one eyebrow. "I'm your captive and my only worth to you is attracting Perry and Jamie. Clearly, that's not working. Thus, I'm practically useless here."

"Shut up," Lay hissed. "I can dose you with enough imobu to make you unable to ever use your Hej again, and I don't think you want that."

Phineas swallowed and refrained from saying anything else. Lay paced around in front of the threesome and hummed. He stopped and fixed his eyes on Phineas. It was obvious that he felt he could derive Perry and Jamie's location from the man, but Phineas didn't actually know where they were. He felt that his guess of Nepoçie, though, wasn't too far off of the mark.

"Your unintentional suggestion that my father and sister are on my mother's home planet seems to be a hint," Lay said slowly. "Is that where I should go?"

"I'll never say," Phineas said, glowering.

* * *

**Indecisive, much?**

**Next Chapter...Perry**


	17. Fatherly Terror

**I love dragons...they are my faves... B) -AJ**

* * *

Perry

A few weeks had passed before the Dracias Council would see them. Kuzo brought Perry and Jamie to a large clearing where the thirty-four dragon-lords were sitting in a circle. He noticed that all of the other dragons had legs, where Kuzo had none. The dragon-king brought them to the center and took his place among his fellow council members. Perry looked at his daughter. She seemed very nervous and was clutching her stomach with one hand.

"Everything's going to be okay," he reassured her. She turned her gaze to him. "They wouldn't bring us here to condemn us. We returned something precious to them, remember?"

"Yeah," Jamie nodded, smiling. "I know."

"Kuzo, you have brought two very small mammals into our presence," one of the lady dragons to his left sniffed. She lowered her head next to Perry and eyed him. "What did you say was the purpose of this meeting was again?"

"Lady Imoogi, these two returned the amulet that contains the souls of the warriors lost in the last great war between the Dracias and the Phoelus," Kuzo hummed. He looked down at the two platypuses before him. "Would you prefer that we used our humanoid forms? Would that make you more comfortable?"

"Whatever works for you guys," Perry shrugged. The dragons did nothing for a moment. Then Kuzo roared loudly over the clearing and each of his dragon-lords bent his or her head in respect.

"Perry Flynn and Jamie Flynn," Kuzo said in his booming voice, "is there any way we can repay you for this kindness you have shown to our people?"

"Well…" Perry blinked.

"We were wondering if you could offer us any help," Jamie said, taking control of the conversation. She smiled a little. "You see, we're fugitives of a sort. My dad says that there's a threat out to kill the both of us. Is there any way you can assist us in this predicament?"

"What sort of threat is after you?" the male dragon beside Lady Imoogi snorted. "No one can help you if they do not know what the threat is!"

"That's just it….my dad won't tell me," Jamie frowned, glancing quickly at her father. He shifted uneasily.

"Sir Ryu, do not patronize her," Kuzo demanded, giving him a condescending stare. The dragon-lord tensed, but did not dare offer a rebuttal. "She is fragile. Now, Perry Flynn, will you tell us what this threat is, or do you plan to keep it to yourself? I am afraid that Sir Ryu is correct."

"I'm sorry," Perry swallowed hard. The dragons all waited for his response. He shifted uneasily, feeling very much like a meal. "I can't say what the threat is…it's nothing against you guys, it's just that…I can't bear for my daughter to find out what it is…it might end badly."

"Understood," Kuzo dipped his head in respect for the choice made. He shook his mane of feathers. "If we cannot help to remove this threat, then we shall offer to you our blessings. My men shall offer blessings to the father, and my women blessings to the daughter. And I shall bless you together."

"It's an honor," Jamie blushed, bowing slightly. Perry followed suit.

"No," Kuzo shook his head. "Royalty does not need to bow. You are equals in my courts."

"Of course," Jamie blushed. The dragons looked down at the girl and her father with warm smiles in their eyes.

"Our people bestow our blessings on you willingly and with a cheerful heart," Kuzo said. At once, all of the dragon-lords and dragon-ladies lifted their heads to the sky and roared in unison. Perry marveled; he could hear their voices in his head as they named their blessings, one and all. They each let loose a jet of flames into the air. Once they were done, they all transformed into their humanoid forms. Kuzo, Sir Ryu, and Lady Imoogi came towards the platypuses while the others disappeared into the forest.

"Thanks," Perry said, tipping his hat to them.

"It is our genuine pleasure," Sir Ryu bowed.

"Yes," Lady Imoogi nodded. She knelt down in the grass and took Jamie's hands in hers. "Has anyone told you that you are a lovely individual?"

"Well, I…uh…" Jamie reddened.

"It is not much to offer," Lady Imoogi said, placing a flower in Jamie's fur, "but I offer you a promise that few others can see through. I hope that it is enough for you, my blessing."

"It was very thoughtful," Jamie told her. "How did you know?"

"The same way that all of the dragon-people know," Kuzo laughed jovially. He knelt down as well and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Besides, I can see it in your eyes."

"See…what?" Perry frowned.

"You do not know?" Kuzo's brow lifted in curiosity. He looked to Jamie, who flushed red for a third time. The dragon-king's laughter escaped from his lips, still as loud and resonant as when he was in dragon form. "Ah, well, Lady Imoogi has the unique power to protect the unborn and their mothers. I would not expect you to know this, as you are a Korobu-chisai."

"Wait, wait, wait," Perry waved his hands. He looked between Kuzo and Lady Imoogi with confusion. "Why is _that_ relevant? I mean, that would mean that Jamie is—"

"Pregnant," his daughter finished for him. Frowning, Perry stared down at her midsection. Jamie sighed and pointed to her face. "My eyes are up here, Dad."

"You don't…look…pregnant…" Perry blinked.

"Doesn't mean it's not true," Jamie said. She walked over to her dad and took one of his hands. "Watch, I'll prove it."

She placed his hand flat against her stomach and waited. Perry did have to admit, now that he was looking for it, he could make out a barely present bulge across her middle. He looked at Jamie and sighed. She held up one finger. He considered moving his hand for a moment, but that was before he felt a kick.

"Wait…how pregnant are you?" Perry asked. He glanced at her belly and then back into her eyes. Embarrassment was written all over her face.

"Almost twenty-one weeks…" Jamie said quietly. Perry nearly choked on his own spit. "I didn't tell you because you were so scared for my life already…I didn't want you scared for two lives…"

"You're right about one thing," Perry sighed.

"What?" she tilted her head.

"I'm genuinely terrified, now," Perry said, stroking her stomach with his thumb.

* * *

**Harmony you clever cookie. xD (Killua planned this, btw. He thought it would be more- oh...that's a spoiler...)**

**Next Chapter...Lay**


	18. Self-Realization

**I'm on a roll! -AJ**

* * *

Lay

It took him long enough, but he finally managed to get the Retropelet working. He was almost one hundred percent certain that Phineas or Ferb had tampered with the device to keep it from working. Even without Hej, their knowledge of machinery had to be carefully watched. Let them too close to anything usable as a building supply, and they might have a gun pointed at his face. (Not that he expected either of them to use a gun, that is).

He and Jase picked up their three captives and tossed them through the portal that had been made by the teleportation device. Doof screamed on his way through. It must have been the man's first time. Rolling his eyes, he shoved Jase in and jumped in behind him. They fell onto a carpet of thick, wet grass.

"Aw, man, gross!" Doof spluttered. "It's all in my mouth!"

"Grow up," Phineas rolled his eyes. Jase walked over and righted them so that they were sitting flat on the ground. He then came over beside Quisling and waited for any further commands.

"So, here we are," Quisling breathed. Heavy rain was covering the forest. The Xolviak created an umbrella out of Hej and quickly erected it over his head. He couldn't risk malfunctioning. This search was way too important to him. He squinted through the thick sheets of precipitation and sighed. His cold breath furled about his face. "Have you ever been to Nepoçie, Jase X?"

"This would be my first time here," Jase hummed.

"Mine, too!" Doof piped up.

"I don't think I've ever been here, either," Phineas said, looking around. The rain was causing his hair to stick to his face. He looked to Ferb. "You either? Didn't think so. I know we drove _over_ it or something like that once. Remember asteroid surfing across galaxies, Ferb?"

"That was totally awesome," Ferb smiled.

"Yeah, it was," Phineas chuckled. "We should really build something when we get back home. How's an inter-dimensional device sound? I don't think we've ever tried to cross dimensions before."

"Perry says we have," Ferb pointed out.

"Would you two shut up?" Quisling said, narrowing his eyes at his captives. He sighed and walked a few feet forward. The cold was messing with his mechanical joints. He had his Hej work to keep his joints warm and functional. "Now, we're several miles from the Sveloj clan of Smeqtor, which means we're closer to Sylvtyx than to Amoyx. But would my father and sister go anywhere near either civilization?"

"One reason why Nepoçie might be the wrong answer," Jase told him pointedly. Quisling rubbed his thumb across the edge of his bill in thought. "You insist that Phineas suggests that Perry would have gone here, but he has neither said that he thought that, nor have we any reason to believe that your father would be here."

"Where else would he be, then?" Quisling turned around quickly and stared at Phineas, Ferb, and Doof. They blinked at him with blank stares. "Think about it, Jase. My father only really knows two planets to my knowledge. He lives on Earth and my mother lived on Nepoçie. He knows that we know that he's asking to be killed if he arrives anywhere near Amoyx thus that should be the last place we'd look. That means, genius, that my father is HERE!"

"Calm down!" Jase said crossly. He frowned and gently slapped Quisling on the arm. "You are taking this mission way out of its original purpose. We are supposed to be finding your sister, not your father."

"But I have no doubts that my sister is with my father," Quisling shot back. "They're going to be together, I just know it!"

"And what if they are not?" Jase returned. Quisling felt his fur bristling at the idea that he could be dead wrong, but the kid had a valid point. He had no proof that Perry and Jamie were together. It had been an assumption. His father was overly protective of Jamie—if he'd run, he surely would have run with her. But perhaps that was what they wanted him to think. Perhaps they'd split up. He blinked up at Jase. "Ah, I see you are considering my statement."

"Not…considering," Quisling growled. "Contemplating."

"Whatever," Jase rolled his eyes.

"You pose an interesting point, son of Semi," Quisling thought aloud. Behind him, Phineas and Doof gasped.

"Son of Semi?" Phineas repeated. "Oh, I hope Perry doesn't know about this! He'd be distraught! To think, his other half cheated on his wife. He'd be so torn to pieces!"

"Shut up, Phineas Flynn, SHUT UP!" Quisling clenched his fists and did his best not to let himself release any Hej. He waved one fist in front of Phineas' nose, hinting that he wasn't afraid to hit the man again. "That is none of your business what Semi does! Now keep your comments to yourself or I will force you to in a very, very violent way!"

"Duct tape on my mouth?" Phineas chuckled.

"No," Quisling growled. "I will take these lovely hands of mine and crush your voice box so I never have hear your annoying prattle anymore! Now PLEASE shut yourself up before I do that!"

"Wow, he's strict," Doof commented.

"No words from the peanut gallery!" Quisling hissed. He then turned his gaze to Ferb and narrowed his eyes. Ferb blinked. It was as if the British man were taunting him secretly in the depths of his mind. "And not one word out of you!"

"Do you not think that you are getting a bit out of hand?" Jase asked, crossing his arms. "They mean nothing, and they can do nothing to you."

"They're just annoying me," Quisling sighed. He picked up Jase by the scruff of his neck and stared into his pupils. The boy narrowed his eyes and chattered angrily. "Just like you have been doing since the moment I met you."

"You find me annoying?" Jase blinked.

"Very," Quisling whispered. He tossed him on the ground. Facing the mountains, he scanned the area just to keep from having to look at those around him. Even with another villain present, he felt alone in the world. He was on a mission that was all his own.

"There is something wrong with you!" Jase spat, pushing his face up off of the ground. Quisling set his jaw, but didn't turn around. "You are a sick, sick individual! Even for a villain. You should be ashamed to call yourself a Mytax! You have no respect for anyone but yourself!"

Quisling would have argued. But the kid was right. He was sick.

* * *

**He's finally come to terms with himself. **

**Next Chapter...Jamie**


	19. Honesty

**Got your next update! -AJ**

* * *

Jamie

Jamie allowed herself to relax. The soft grass beneath her was cushioning her body like a giant pillow. Her eyes were staring up into the night sky. It was so cloudless that all of the stars were in perfect view. She forgot the chill of the night as she waited for her dad to return with a blanket. At least her resistance to cold kept her from freezing to death.

"Hey, Jamie, I forgot to leave you a blanket," Perry's voice sighed. He came into her field of vision and waved a teal blanket around. She smiled. Placing it over her, he sat down beside her and stroked her head. "Comfortable, baby girl?"

"As comfortable as one can be on the run," she laughed quietly. She sat up, wrapped the blanket tightly around her body, and leaned on her dad's shoulder. For once, she didn't tense up at such interaction. It was in the past. Her dad was just her dad—nothing else. Perry cautiously wrapped one arm around her.

"How ya feeling?" he asked her. Jamie gave him a curious look. He pressed his free hand to her stomach. In the few weeks that they'd been away from the Dracias Council, Jamie had noticed that her fifth child had had something of a growth spurt. Sighing, she rested one hand atop her belly. She'd gone from 'not visibly pregnant' to 'almost six months pregnant' too fast. Why couldn't she be normal?

"Eh, pretty good, I guess," Jamie shrugged. That was a lie. The baby was practically doing somersaults inside of her. Nausea was building up in her stomach. Not to mention she was starving and could really use some peanuts right then. "The bigger question is, how are you doing?"

"I don't know," Perry frowned. He looked up at the stars and wrapped a blanket around himself as well. "I mean…I don't like having to run, but I feel like it's the only option…"

"Why can't you stand and fight?" Jamie asked him. She sat up and looked him in the eyes. Perry averted his gaze so as not to make eye contact. "Daddy, I can't help you if I don't know what's going on."

"Not to be rude, sweetie, but you kinda _can't_ help," he told her. Jamie clutched her stomach. "I don't want you in harm's way. I never have, never will. And, I mean, you're in danger, so for the time being your baby's also in danger. I simply cannot allow you to face an adversary."

"What adversary?" Jamie pressured, knowing that he'd been avoiding this topic for nearly five months. Her father tensed up. Jamie placed a hand on her father's shoulder and blinked. "Dad…tell me…please."

Perry sighed deeply. "You really want to know?"

"Yes, yes I do," Jamie nodded. "We have to be honest with each other. I mean, you're not the only one that has someone to protect, you know."

"Fair enough," Perry said softly.

"So please," Jamie whispered. She gently put her hand to his bill and turned his head to face her. They locked eyes. She could see tears forming in her dad's eyes. "Just tell me, Daddy."

Reaching one hand out to stroke her face, Perry ran one finger down her cheek. She couldn't understand his fear, but perhaps she would soon. He seemed to be stalling. Jamie waited patiently. "Jamie…I can't stand and fight because…because…I don't want to…to fight my own son…"

* * *

**Yup. I am running out of A/N's. **

**Next Chapter...Phineas**


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